Ghosts
by piper and kimi no vanilla
Summary: The past returns, and our heroes have some important decisions to make... Jou+Kai, YamiB+Ryou, Yuugi+Yami.
1. Once

_ghosts._

_a yuugiou rp by piper and kimi no vanilla._

_BEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEEEP!_

Ugh.. That infuriating noise yet again. With it's shrieking, monotonous tone, Yami Yuugi felt like slight slivers of awareness seep into his veins. A low, rumbling sigh was emitted from an ivory fleshed throat and with one swift movement, he felt the stinging sensation of the chilled floor of his soul room conveniently slapped against his unaware cheek... Or.. Rather visa versa.

**_BEEEEEPP!_**

That confounded, damnable, hellish noise! How in Heaven's name and confines could anyone stand it..? Better yet, how could his little sleep through it? No matter, though. He put up with it.

**_BEEEEEPP~!_**

After a few seconds more of allowing his.. Ahem.. 'body' to lie half responsive on the surprisingly gritty stone ground, the multicolored teenager hefted himself up with a new burst of energy, freshly conformed from his sense of duty. He'd never complain to this minor annoyance.

Reaching out to his other half, he tried to ignore the background accompaniment.

//Aibou... Time to wake up.//

/....hunh?/

Mutou Yuugi blinked awake slowly, noticing all of a sudden that his alarm clock was blaring and his other was giving him mental nudges. /Oh, Yami... Good morning./ Yawning, he sat up and stretched vigorously, climbing out of bed with a certain noticeable reluctance. "Another Monday..." sighed the boy as he walked over to his closet and pulled out his school uniform.

And so it went. A pretty generic morning of hushed yawns, rushed breakfasts, and barely clasped pants. At one point sometime, Yami had question just exactly why Yuugi kept such an off schedule if it always caused him to end up more bedraggled then when he climbed from his bed.

All he got responded with was giddy laughter and he left it be as yet another one of those things he would never know about this person he shared bodies with.

Even now, as Yami sat back within the innards of his soul room, he felt the gentle poundings of happy exhaustion through their link as the youth ran--more like stumbled--on his way out the door and towards the school a few blocks ahead. It was 7:10.

//Would you like me to take over for you, aibou? Your school starts at 7:15 and you're tired.// Yami prodded lightly as the young one 'beneath' him gave another heaved breath. //I have longer legs.//

The last bit was added with hesitation. Hidden sensitivity with height was touched, no doubt, but the darker one merely thought it was a fact held in truth.

Yuugi shook his head. /It's all right, _mou hitori no boku_... I'm usually late anyway, now aren't I?/ The last was added with a smile as he reached the front gates of Domino High School, the tardy bell's harsh ring reaching his ears as he ducked through the door. He waved absently at the ladies working in the front office before dashing down the corridor toward his history class.

//Un.//

Once again Yami settled back. For a moment he was completely contented to strive out this school day as he had so many others.. He took this time to think.

Of course this was Jounouchi irony.

Within seconds it all came tumbling down as a decent amount of 134 lb. with blonde hair launched itself at his unsuspecting physical body as soon as Yuugi barely touched the floor over the doors threshold. Jou grabbed the small statured duelist in one of the biggest bear hugs yet to be rivaled with...

"Hey there, Yuug!"

With a futile squeak, Yami tumbled headfirst of his bed for the second time that day and he was very tempted to separate from Yuugi and give this blonde a well deserved noogie... Too bad a dozen or so students stared on at the scene. Grace was not his friend today.

Though, as he barely managed to observe through Yuugi's eyes before the odd attack, the classroom itself was no the epitome of order. Students sat upon desks, languid in posture, huddled in groups.. And even Jou's off-placed banter said the obvious. The room was teacher-less.

Yuugi laughed delightedly, smiling that guileless smile up at his friend. "Good morning, Jounouchi-kun! You're feeling cheerful today!"

Bakura Ryou, sitting nearby, glanced over at the pair with a small smile upon his lips. "Maybe it's because Kaiba-san's not here."

//Seto's not here?//

Eyes the color of rich honey fell back to the silver-haired boy with a sort of hated smile and Jou slightly released his grip upon Yuugi, head tossed upwards in agreement.

"Ha! Darn straight, Bakura," he added with a classic mock pout before smirking fanastically, sticking out his tongue in point. "You should see just how happy I'll be when he doesn't come at all! I still don't like that jer---HEY! OW!"

With the sounds of a wounded puppy, the blonde gingerly nursed his growing lump received from the looming Honda who, after wandering over from the grabby Anzu and her gathered group of other giddy school mates, gave his friend forewarning to the subject he had almost insulted. He made frantic head jerks to his point of focus.

"Oh, did the little puppy need scolding? Don't let me interrupt."

A smirk played around Kaiba Seto's lips, and cold blue eyes watched Jounouchi mockingly as the young man walked over to his desk, placing his briefcase on the floor before sitting down next to it.

"Um... good morning, Kaiba-kun," Yuugi said with a strained smile, while the rest of the group just glared.

Anzu walked over just in time to catch the sardonic words. "We don't appreciate your _comments_, Kaiba," she spat.

Again, Yami receded back into Yuugi's mind. He'd well and enjoyed this whole senerio before and he quiet frankly would have prefered washing dishes.

Immediately, Jounouchi was shaking with barely controlled anger as the dark haired duelist swept into the classroom like a silent cat and placed himself on a perch of satisfaction from the little enterance he had pulled. Face flushed, Jou jumped forward despite some slight sounds of protests from the other members of the group, gloved fist raised in bitter confronation as it too trembled with his fury.

"For your information, I wasn't getting scolded,_ Kaiba_. After all, I'm not the one late after the bell, am I?" he spat angrily. Golden bangs were blown out with a slight huff of breath, and quickly he added, "And I'm not a puppy!!"

Kaiba leaned back leisurely in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest as he regarded the other young man with that cold, smug expression. "Oh, the puppy dog's yapping at me," and the smirk twitched as he reached down to pull a notebook and pencil from his briefcase. "Maybe someone needs to put you on a _leash_."

"Kaiba!" Anzu stepped forward, scowling. Bakura watched with a "here we go again" expression as Yuugi stepped forward, putting his arms out in a placating gesture.

"Please, Kaiba-kun, Jounouchi-kun... Class hasn't even started yet! Can't you leave off for a while?"

"Why you---!!! I oughta--!!" A leash?! Of all the--! Despite Yuugi's desperate attempt for early morning peace, Jou's temper bested him and he rushed forward to grasp the taller boys collar with a furious glare, the honey colored irises now echoing with flames and only met with placid, unmoved eyes of ice.

But now a decent part of the class was staring once again and almost in unison, a chant rose up.

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

Jounouchi's eyes were turned on him, and Kaiba Seto... turned away. Glancing back up to the boy holding his weight halfway off the floor, Kaiba remarked conversationally:

"Well. Look who just walked in."

The history teacher walked over with a scowl on her face. "_Jounouchi-kun_!"

With an embarrassed gasp, an already flushed Jounouchi turned even a shade redder from mere headlight situation and immediately his position holding the slender CEO slightly upward from his seat was abandoned to standing up sheepishly, one hand behind his head, and Seto dropped back down into his chair with a light thunk ("Oof."). With his best apologetic smile, Jou glanced warily up to the stone faced woman.

"Ah.. er.. Good morning, sensei..?"

* * *

The rest of the class progressed in a similar manner. Kaiba, it seemed, was feeling bored, and thus various derogatory notes found their way onto Jounouchi's desk over the hour; naturally, the teacher didn't spot any of them until Katsuya tried to reply. A certain tension could be felt in their corner of the room after his detention was lengthened, first to half an hour, then to an hour. By all appearances, Kaiba Seto looked quite pleased at a job well done. Yuugi sighed.

/I get so tired of watching those two. What could Kaiba-kun possibly have against Jounouchi-kun, anyway? It can't just be that he thinks Jounouchi-kun's a bad duelist... It's much too vicious for that. I'd say it were out of character for Kaiba-kun, except that I see it every day! Oh, Yami, I just don't understand./

Yami, quite attentive now that class had started, had listened commentlessly through the small period, eyes half watching the silent war that raged behind him. He couldn't help but notice as yet another note fell onto the blonde's desk, who promptly glared at the smirking Kaiba as he leaned back carelessly in his seat, opened it, fumed, and then ate it. With exaggerated chomps in Seto's direction, Jounouchi then folded his arms and slumped down low.

"Damn," Yami heard him mutter. Yami himself resisted the urge to chuckle for fear of disturbing his quiet other, but was quickly given room to do so as a question swept his mind. He smiled.

//Look closer, aibou. They're not just tormenting each other out of spite. Do you remember when you were younger? Did any girls ever pick on you?//

A paper plane grazed past the pouting Jou's ear.

Yuugi blinked, confused. /But Yami, what does that have to do with.../ He trailed off suddenly, glancing over at the pair with slightly reddening cheeks. /_Oh_./

In short order the bell had rung, and students began to pack up their things. "Mr. Kaiba, I'd like to talk to you up here," said the teacher. "Everyone else is dismissed."

Yami once again stifled laughter and had he been in physical form he would have hugged his lighter half. Innocent certainly didn't mean naive, but it definitely made one endearing. Yami merely settled for sending the equaling sensation through Yuugi as the other rose to leave and cast Kaiba a now iffy glance.

Jounouchi's face, however, lighted up as soon as the precious words the teacher had spoken came to his ears. With an energetic jump, Jou snapped up with a smirk and pulled up his bag to his shoulder before zooming out.. not till giving Seto a well deserved raspberry as he went, tossing back golden bangs to flash a toothy grin at the handsome brunette.

Kaiba shot a cool glare toward the blonde before rising and walking over to the teacher's desk. Yuugi shoved books into his bag, listening surrepititiously as he folded up some papers and placed them inside his notebook.

"Kaiba, I don't appreciate your constant disruptions of my class," the teacher was lecturing, wagging a finger under Seto's nose. Kaiba looked down on the sensei with an expression as impassive as ever. "Just because you're rich and famous doesn't mean you have the right to disturb other students. Business calls are one thing, but if you don't stop pestering Jounouchi, you and I are going to go have a nice talk with the Principal. Understand?"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "Sensei... I don't appreciate threats."

"And _I_ don't appreciate your goofing off in my class! You're on thin ice, young man..." The teacher scowled. "I've seen your permanent record. If you get expelled from _this_ school, it'll be your last."

"Yuugi." Slightly startled, the young man turned to find that it was Bakura who had whispered in his ear. "C'mon, or we'll be late for art class..."

They walked out the door, still listening to the sounds of Kaiba and the teacher arguing.

Okay, so maybe zoom was too literal of a term. As the two (er, THREE) boys headed out the doorway to their next class, all the while casting curious glances back at the warring Kaiba and sensei, they ran almost face first into the huddling Jounouchi, who had stationed himself 'strategically' for earsdropping purposes. Instantly he withdrew from his position and whistled innocently as both Yuugi and Bakura gave him an incredulous look. He shrugged sweetly before giving a light puff of a sigh.

"Ah, yeah, yeah.. I know. I should've been.." He raised his hands flat in a surrendering smile before tilting his head to the side, quickly change the subject. "Hehhehe.. so, uh.. Off to art class?"

* * *

The passing of half an hour or so found the group mixing tubs of paint in the art room, preparing colors for a new mural. Anzu poured a bit of white into her blue and glanced toward her friends with a smile. "So, what's everyone doing after school?"

"Nothing much," piped up the previous blonde and he generously slapped a load of red into a small portion of the lightest yellow before swirling it with motoristic circles. Smirking lightly, he raised eyes of honey lightly. "But I might go see if I can find a costume for that masqure-whata galla on Friday."

He paused, pointing a dripping wet paintbrush towards the other to his left. "_You_ know, Yuug, the one Pegasus is holding for all fellow high Duelists this weekend? Supposed to be a big thing, right?"

"Yeah!" Yuugi smiled. "I think it's going to be great! I just have to decide on a costume..."

"Yuugi..." Bakura looked troubled. "Are you sure that's wise? We haven't seen hide nor hair of Pegasus since you defeated him. Who knows whether or not he's planning something...?"

Yuugi shrugged, sobering. "You have a point, but... he's kept his word to me once, and I have a feeling I ought to go. I'm willing to take the risk."

Anzu hid her worries with a smile. "I'm sure you guys will be fine."

//Yuugi... You never told me you got an invitation from Pegasus..//

From the confines of his soul room, Yami had nearly been close to drifting off, the low and monotonous tones of blocked out children serving almost as an odd, humming like lullaby to the sleep-hungry pharaoh, though for the life of him he could not guess why he was so sleepy. Perhaps it had been yesterday's soccer game, where, when Yuugi suddenly grew tired in the middle of a play with his friends, Yami had taken over. Quite invigorating, actually, though he could never pas up a game anyway. Sad to say, his physical form hadn't exactly been up to in the purposely active department since the crew had left the Duelist Kingdom, what with the lack of running around to various places. He'd convince himself this was the only reason. Or he could have just been bored.

Yet, when the simple question Jounouchi had asked grazed past his ears, Yami shot up like a bullet from his spot upon the floor, golden bangs swishing uncharacteristically from their place. When Yuugi confirmed it, Yami couldn't help but be alarmed. True, his aibou could put up mental blocks to certain areas as he wished in his mind, but rarely did so.. What had he to hide? Yami found this sudden hole of knowledge disarming.

An impish smile was Yami's answer.

/Would you have let me go?/

Yuugi mixed paint and said nothing further.

* * *

With the end of school came the walk home, a reward at the end of the day that Yami tended to cherish almost as much as the rivaled Homework Time. These and scant others tended to be the scarce few times he could walk freely among people, friends, his aibou... Times he could actually _give_ Jounouchi a well deserved noogie or Yuugi a knowing chuckle.. Or even, if they passed him in the parking lot, share 'friendly' quips with the ever so presenting Seto, though this was rare. He tended to disappear earlier then the school expect, most likely to pick Mokuba up from his school a few blocks down or maybe some unexpected business meeting with some short woman from Hong Kong. Frankly, Yami didn't care too much about that part, but it didn't stop Jounouchi from inspecting the lots from top to bottom.

Luckily for them, today the honey blonde duelist seemed much more placid today, and the group walked happily through the autumn's day. Leaves of various colors, shapes, and sizes littered the walkways and ended with a satisfying crunch beneath Yami's shoes as he walked silently sandwiched between Anzu and Jou, the brunette in question having taken her standard position beside the bundled up Yuugi.

"Well, I guess Kaiba's got more'va punishment from sensei then we thought. I didn't see him at lunch." It wasn't out of the blue for Jounouchi to state this. He would often share his frustrations with the rich CEO on their walks home.

"Yes... for someone who's so smart, Kaiba-san seems to have school troubles an awful lot." Bakura raised an eyebrow. "I wonder how many times he's been absent just this year alone...?"

"Oh well, everyone has their pet peeves." Yuugi grinned. "I guess Kaiba-kun's is school. I can relate."

He glanced toward Yami only slightly before returning his eyes to the sidewalk ahead. / You're... not mad at me, are you?/

Eyes the color of the fallen leaves raised as Yami was addressed and they fell quietly on Yuugi, who seemed a bit fidgity as he gazed down towards the cold, gray pathwalk.

//I'm not mad.. No.// Yami suddenly wished the other would look up so he could flash a reassuring smile.. But he didn't. //..Why would you keep something like that from me? What makes you think I would'nt have agreed you should go?//

"Yeah, well, I can't wait to see him expelled." Jounouchi was oblivious to the private conversation going and rubbed his hads together like a kid brought to a Thanksgiving feast.

"That's not very nice, Jounouchi-kun," interjected Bakura quietly. "I agree that Kaiba-san's a jerk, but he works hard, and he makes very good grades, I've heard. He deserves to graduate. And... you heard what the sensei said to him this morning." He frowned sadly.

Yuugi glanced toward his other again. /Well, it's just... You're always protecting me, Yami... You know that I appreciate it, and you. But because of that, I wasn't sure how you'd react to this party... Since it's Pegasus and all... I want to be there and see what's going on, and I just... didn't know if you'd be comfortable with that, all things considered,/ he finished, feeling very sheepish for some reason.

//I.. Well, I won't say that I wouldn't have had hesitations...// His lips pursed unconciously and he stared back silently into the beautiful shades of violet the glittered softly in the dim sun. //..But you are you're own person, I suppose.//

For a moment, Yami paused in his step and fell back from the staggering line of friends they had created suddenly falsely interested in his shoes. The other chattered on, as he did not stop completely nor was that far from them in stride, but it was enough. This was silly, he thought defiantly //I'm coming with you then.//

"Grades, shmades!" Jounouchi shook his head feverently, shaking his hair along with it as he glanced back to Bakura. "Let's see you say that when you're called a puppy dog every countless day or have to put up with that dumb smirk! I just wish he weren't so haughty!"

"I don't know." Bakura cocked his head in a questioning pose as he looked out toward some nearby trees. "I think perhaps that attitude is just Kaiba-san's way of keeping everyone at arm's length." A rueful smile. "Well, except for the puppy dog part."

Yuugi gave his other a bright smile. /Of course!/

At Bakura's words, Jounouchi grew increasingly silent, and soon, so did his aggreesiveness. For a moment longer he held a puzzling scowl, one hidden beneath confusion before he abbruptly turned left. _Why would Seto only...?_

"Ah.. Well, this is my stop. See ya'll later then." He was met with a chorus of 'bye's before he headed off down the road, hands stuffed in his pockets.

* * * 

It took Yuugi all week to decide what he was going to wear to the masquerade ball. First he wanted to dress up like a Duel Monster, but he wasn't sure if this was supposed to be like a Halloween party or a formal occasion, so he decided he'd better tone down the costume aspect a bit... Eventually, much to Yami's chagrin, he decided he wanted to go as a pharaoh. At least he knew he'd have some help with authenticity.

Yami, however, was not as easily decided. Rather, instead, Yuugi spent half of the time trying to explain what exactly a masquerade was, let alone let Yami grasp the whole purpose. What he finally settled for was that this was yet another one of this new era's odd society games, and, as everyone knows, this former pharaoh was never one to succumb to a game.

The week had gone by rather quickly, a mindless charade of the usual with a sprinkle of barely contain excitement of the gala of festivities soon to come. Despite just have aqquire knowledge of what it actually was, Yami found Yuugi's uncontrollable glee quite contagious and no sooner had they reached Thursday had he pulled his aibou smnack face into helping design his costume.. Not that Yami had any objections. It was more time spent with his other, not to mention being able to truly show off his knowledge of his true land.

Needless to say, morning and afternoon came and went rather quickly that Friday, and all fell back to where he was, leaning back casually in one of the many old wooden chairs of the kitchen table, exchanging general chatter with Yuugi's grandfather as the young one still bustled about upstairs. Yami smiled from where he sat and reached out softly.

//Are you almost ready, aibou? Jounouchi and the others should be here soon.//

/Yeah, I'm coming down right now, Yami!/

A polished white shoe stepped onto the stairs.

Yuugi walked down the staircase carefully, jangling accents of golden jewelry swaying with his movements. He was dressed in formal masquerade style: his white tuxedo had been hastily embroidered around the cuffs and sleeve edges to suggest bracelets, while around his neck was a very real piece of ornamentation--a replica of an Egyptian collar, inlaid with silver-colored and turquoise stones. His dark red spikes had been slicked back to lay a little bit flatter, and upon his head he wore a thick circlet with a wadjet-eye in the center. In one hand he held the Pharaoh's crook and flail--attached to the crook was a classical masquerade eye-mask.

"How do I look?" he asked his other with a smile.

Yami couldn't help but taking a rather sharp breath when Yuugi appeared, almost gliding, down the stairs, dazzling violet eyes set upon himself as he seemed to dance to the melody of jingles that his ornamentation brought. This wasn't so good, however, for the spirit breathed in much to quickly for his own good, causing him to break in a horrible coughing fit. Quickly he lowered his head as he did so, hoping to the Heaven's Yuugi hadn't caught the vibrant, red blush that had happily danced it's way across Yami's own high cheek bones, half from embarrassment and another from.. from..

_White.. Of course. Angelic.. Stupid Yami, you create your own irony!_

"Ah.. hah.. You look wonderful, Yuugi... hah.." Quietly, he tried to calm his coughing with slow, deep breaths. Of course, he himself was no plain worn person himself, but he had taken little notice. Skin tight and jet black, his high leather pants clung to his every curve, quite matched with the white shirt overhung with the small, matching jacket that lay lined with white fir. Tall, half hidden boots lay accessories as well as the criss crossing of many brown, buckle heavy belts about his slender waist. Shining dimly in the light, a small silver necklace jangled about his neck and dark, gloved hands clasp a very real looking gunblade at his side. A black half mask covered the portion of his face. Anzu had suggested Squall.

It was a lucky thing for Yuugi that Yami suddenly had a bout of coughing, because he could feel his own cheeks grow hot as he looked upon the lithe, leather-clad form of his other. "Um, are you all right?" he asked, composing himself and hurrying the rest of the way downstairs to join Yami.

Someone was knocking on the back door.

Regain some sense of composure, the tall, tricolor haired boy glanced up as Yuugi came down to stand beside him, his small hand coming down lightly upon Yami's back to aide his small display of.. Whatever it was that was a display of... Still slightly flushed, he rose quickly as there came a vibrate knock at the door and with a hesitation of a small smile given to his aibou, Yami turned to open the small, kitchen door that lead to the back of the game shop.

"Boo~!" Smiling, the doorway revealed quite an impressive pair of blondes. One, slender as a young tree, was clad in that of a rather famous highway bandit, Zoro. Black upon black, silky material curved all about Jounouchi's form as did the flowing cape the floated like water around him. A small, silver parry sword lay clasped in black gloved hands and honey colored eyes sparkled from beneath a dark mask hiding a good portion of his upper face, not to mention the coy smile he sported. The first few buttons of his shirt lay open and exposed and smooth, flawless skin glimmered in the darkness.

Beside this man stood a cocky looking woman with tresses of golden waterfalls spilling gently about a costume twice as wicked as herself. Blood red, her outfit was that of a temptress, pouty lips and much top cleavage adding to the dramatic, medieval flair about her. The material of the cloth shimmered like velvet under the low light, an impressive sequined mask flared out like controlled flames.

"Hello, Mai.. Jounouchi!" Yami smiled.

"Jounouchi-kun... Mai-san! You look fantastic!" Yuugi greeted his friends with a smile and a wave, walking over toward them. "Are you all ready to go? I'm curious to see what Pegasus has in store for us..." The smile turned mischievious as he adjusted the Sennen Puzzle around his neck.

"Thanks, Yuug! You do too! You guys ready?" With a feverant nod, Yami turned to his lighter half and offered an arm before he shut the door, much to his own confusion as he wasn't precisely sure how to go about this whole formality thing. Things were different now, and quite odd, really. It didn't really help when Jou snickered slightly.

"Hey there, Yuugi.. Yami." Mai grinned wolfishly and quickly exchanged glances with Jou. "You'll never believe what we drove here in."

Yuugi glanced toward Yami's outstretched arm, and suddenly he could feel himself blushing all over again. After a moment's hesitation, he reached out and entwined his own arm with Yami's, smiling almost shyly.

"What you drove here in?" He repeated Mai's words absently as he glanced over toward the lady duelist. "Well, if it's so unbelievable, let's go have a look." Yuugi grinned. 

Yami nodded in a confirming fashion, hiding his odd delight in having his aibou so.. Physical close to him. _What are you thinking, pharaoh? Silly thoughts. _He suddenly felt very hot in the face again.

Quickly, the two blondes practically hopped and skipping as the two followed to the front of the Game shop, where, much to Yami's amazement sat a long, shinny black limo.

"Courtesy of Pegasus," Mai laughed. "Looks like he's not all bad after al.. He has money!"

"Wow." Yuugi blinked. "I'm surprised he'd go to such trouble..."

Without further adieu, they hopped in, and the night began.

The ball was held at a trendy hotel in north Domino, within a huge ballroom whose vaulted ceilings seemed to stretch for miles, and held countless crystal chandeliers. Though it was already full of people, the long refreshment table stretching down one side of the room was still being set by hotel staff, and the guests milled about making crowd noise: it appeared the host, Pegasus Crawford himself, had not yet arrived to begin the festivities.

Yuugi looked around in amazement as they walked inside. "There's so many people... And what a beautiful ballroom! This is going to be fantastic!" He smiled cheerfully.

"Man, is this place a suit fest or what?" Jounouchi whispered exasperate to Yami as the four descended down the long, open stairs that stretch out below, dappling in velvet carpeting. That is, not without a bit of an embarrassing entrance, boldly announced to the whole ballroom by a door man whose only job was to just that. Needless to say, he was quiet baffled as to who Yami was and after many an explanation, both light and dark were allowed in. With the general hustle and bustle of parties, the four finally began blending into the huge crowd.. That is, before Jounouchi firmly dragged Mai off to the refreshment stand, much to Yami's amusement.

The orchestra, quite an impressive one at that, was playing all sorts of slow, waltzing songs and for a moment the glitter and colors become acutely blurred. Yami was very aware of the fact his aibou still hung to him like a drapery.

"Presenting Kaiba, Seto!!"

Midnight made flesh.

He was dressed in clingy black leather, polished until it gleamed, and shimmering a liquid-blue where the dimmed lights of the many chandeliers reached as he strode slowly from the entrance hall into the ballroom. High boots, pants, and gloves; a black dress shirt; a black cape that rustled gracefully behind him--all this under metallic shoulder-guards in the shape of a Blue Eyes White Dragon curled about his shoulders, its wings resting on his back. Underneath the cloak could be seen the silver glint of a sword hilt, swaying as he moved. Those royal blue eyes, as icy-calm as ever, slowly surveyed the crowd from behind a feathered mask of deepest blue; and Kaiba Seto located Jounouchi Katsuya with a cold smile.

There was a soft clatter as the cup Jounouchi had been holding in his hand shattered upon the smooth, marble surface, a shiny ivory pallor. Body completely frozen where he stood as well has the outstretched hand still in the position of grasping the cup twitched ever so slightly, along with his left eyes as he gingerly raised them to meet the cold, icy blue gaze of the tall man who stood high and far above him. Uhh.. Leather..

"Jou..? Jounouchi...?? Oh, _Jounouchi_!?" With Mai's prodding voice, the honey color haired boy seemed to snap from his dazed position, the panic off it all crashing down as his cheeks were suddenly burning.. And he had know idea the Hell why. What first was a conspiratorial whisper soon became a frantic squeak.

"Oh my GOD, Mai, it's Seto... **SETO**!! HERE. What'shedoingherehe'snotsupposedtobeherewhytheHELLishehere?!?!?!?" With wide eyes, the female tired to discern what Jou had frantically mumbled out as he suddenly grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and shook her.  "He'snotsupposedtobehereitisn'tallowed---WHY THE HELL AM I BLUSHING?!"

As a vein twitched in within her temple, the blonde woman let out a heated sigh as Jou released her before tossed her punch in his face. She then threw his cloak over his head in the opposite direction. ".......-_-;... Get a hold of yourself, Jou."

Yuugi smiled cheerfully. "Gee, Kaiba-kun has a beautiful costume."

Kaiba maneuvered leisurely through the crowd until he reached the pair standing by the refreshment table. "Kujaku. Good evening." He nodded toward Mai courteously. "And Jounouchi..." A smirk was directed toward the blonde duelist, but somehow it was different from Kaiba's usual sneer... Somehow it seemed more... dangerous.

Kaiba leaned over into Jounouchi's face as he raised the young man's cape from where Mai had tossed it. "Such a... creative costume. I see we've both chosen to play swordsmen tonight..." With a flick of the wrist he returned Jounouchi's cloak to rights. Suddenly there was something pressed into Katsuya's hand as Kaiba continued, "Pity, though. I was going to help you spruce up your costume a little."

In Jounouchi's grasp was a leather dog collar and a short leash.

_Oh sweet mother of... _Suddenly, Jounouchi's throat felt dry as the dark cape was lifted from his eyesight, replaced by the cool blue he had stared into only moments before. A satisfied smirk, the soft feel of his palm pressed against Jou's own along with.. with..

"You're.. twisted.." Jou whispered huskily at Kaiba being so near, much to close for his comfort. Still a grand blush tainted his cheeks though he struggled to maintain his composure, yet Mai definitely didn't help with her foolish laughter as she quickly strode away. Soft, hot puffs of air tickled at his bare skin and the blonde truly fought to not give in. What sick game was Seto trying to play? "Really, Kaiba.... Twisted."

He shifted position and suddenly brown locks obscured the cold eyes from Jounouchi's sight, though the mocking smile remained, twitching slightly as if Kaiba fought to keep from laughing. "So I'm told." He shook his hair out of his face as he stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest and regarding Jounouchi with that same infuriating sneer.

"So, little puppy, what are you going to do about it?"

What _was_ he trying to pull? Jounouchi couldn't help but wonder as he slowly regained his senses now that Seto had removed himself from Jou's personal space as well as the intoxicating aroma of the young CEO, though it still seemed to linger lightly under his nose. With a deathening scowl, the blonde defiantly glared daggers at Kaiba as he spoke.

"Nothing..." He growled heavily under his breath. ".....now." Honey colored eyes sparkled with a tint of contempt and danger before a trembling hand raised the black, silver studded collar and clasped it on before Jou took a cautious step back. He really was risking it but.. He smirked. So he'd play along in this demented game for just.. awhile. "You just better hope to God I don't have rabies."

Jounouchi was rewarded with an expression of surprise. Kaiba hid it quickly, but not quickly enough to escape the other young man's notice. Lips parted as if to say something, but he stood there stunned for a split second that felt like an eternity, wordless. Finally he let a vicious smile twist his face, regaining his composure as he turned to walk away with a single, cruel bark of a laugh. "It suits you, puppy dog."

As soon as Seto moved away, Jou suddenly feel uncoveable, terrible anger rise within his chest like a roaring furnace and, as if it were so deadly acid slowly shredding at his skin, he rouchly ripped the leather collar that had entrapped his pale neck so tightly. The metal chain that was attacted to it jangled in silent protest but was soon met with silence as the whole adornment was chucked out one of the many open windows of the large room. _It's my own fault.. I shouldn't have taken that chance for.. **him.**_

****

With an inaudible snort, Jounouchi silently nursed his injured pride and stormed into the crowd to pout respectably. It's what he did best...

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ballroom, Yami was feeling a bit dejected himself. Shards of glittering gold cascaded over crimson eyes that stared outwardly into a sea of colors and arms lay tightly folded over a firm chest. Only moments before, Mai had come and gone, taking on Yuugi with her to dance.. Not that he had much of a say in the matter himself. Yami, therefore, stood alone against one of millions of tall, cold stone pillars that lay as a base to an arch exit way to one of a many amount of small, private balconies. Staring wistfully out into the chilled air, Yami pushed one of the small, sliding glass doors littered with gold adornment to step outside from the bustle of the talkative crowd and the humming of the orchestra.

He slowly shut his eyes as his pale skin came in contact with the crisp, night air and he leaned thoughtfully upon the stone rim.

A few balconies away, someone else stumbled past doors and out into the night.

Kaiba Seto ran a hand through his hair and looked up toward the stars, an evening breeze ruffling his clothing slightly. Seemingly alone now, he didn't bother to hide the bewildered expression on his face.

_I... I thought he'd throw it in my face... yell at me... tackle me, maybe... I never expected him to..._

_Put it on._

Why would Jounouchi _do_ such a thing? Had Kaiba ridiculed him past all caring for his dignity? --No, that wasn't right; the look in Katsuya's eyes as he'd reached up to put it on...

The smile.

Kaiba could feel the faint blush creeping across his face, and he scowled viciously, mostly at himself.

_I don't understand... What did you think you were doing, Jounouchi...?_

* * *

With heavy eyes, Yami buried his chilled face and skin in enfolded arms and stood there, like this, for just a few moments. Now.. Everything was so peaceful now. He didn't want to be here.

_Tonight.. That peace will be shattered.. I know it. Pegasus with announce something to throw our whole lives upside down.. Just when it was starting to fit back into place._

_Cherish the moment._

Yami let out one, last and long sigh before smiling into his warm arms. Believe it or not, he found this whole ensemble he was adorning quite hot and the autumn nip left him unaffected. With shut eyes, he listened patiently as the song ended and another song started up.. Hauntingly beautiful and quite sad, actually.

* * *

Jou watched as the slender figure of Seto Kaiba leaned outwards on the balcony through cleared glass. Admittedly, he was still quite infuriated. Of all ways to respond.. Yet.. The tense posture the taller man held intrigued him and Jounouchi bit the bullet for the second time that night. He opened the door and stepped out quietly onto the small portrusion of stone.

Kaiba whirled around.

"...Oh. It's you." With a frown he turned his back on Jounouchi again, leaning forward against the balcony.

He closed his eyes for just a moment. He would not sigh in front of Katsuya. He just would not.

"What do you want, Jounouchi?" he murmured.

Katsuya, however would, but more frustration then anything else. This wasnt' a game, now he knew.. And how Seto had reacted distuurbed him. Cautiously, he stepped forward and came beside the dark hair boy. Silence hung for a moment and Jou gingerly licked his dry lips.

"What do you want me to be?"

"Jounouchi..." He opened his eyes again to stare broodingly down toward the ground. "What are you talking about...? I just... What I want..."

He paused to give a short, bitter laugh. "I don't know what the hell I want, in case you hadn't figured it out by now."

Empty blue eyes glanced up toward Jounouchi, and his voice was very quiet as he said, "I concede. You won this one. Just get the gloating out of the way, would you?"

"Oh, no.. No you don't. I'm not letting you off that easy."

For a split second, Jounouchi took it upon himself to enjoy the utter look of confusion that filtered once again that night as those few choice words escape his lips. This, however, was soon replaced by a settling anger and, with brows furrowed, it looked as if he were about to insult Jou... But that not what he wanted the reaction to be. Biting back his own bitterer confusion, Jounouchi stepped forward and roughly caught Seto's thin, pale jawline in his own fingers, both index and thumb. He had no time to be gentle. He kept on being afraid that this WASN'T a game.. He couldn't handle that. Not yet.

"I told you.. I'd do something later."

Kaiba could feel himself tremble at the other's touch, and his roughness. What he most wanted at this moment was to slap Jounouchi's hand away, but somehow he was frozen to the spot, blue eyes locked on amber ones. He had no witty retort for Katsuya this time around. Lips slightly parted, he took a deep breath...

"You wanted me a puppy dog.. I did it. Now you don't and your sulking about it," his voice grew hot as he stood so near the other slender body, almost feeling the warm, body generated heat melting from the leather clad form. The deep breath, almost a sigh against Jou and the softly parted lips. It gave the blonde some odd satisfaction to know he had not moved, not to mention that Jou himself was causing this sudden.. paralization. He felt the leather of one of Seto's pant legs brush his thigh. _Mm.. Leather.  _He almost purred before planting a soft, chaste kiss upon those waiting lips._ I want to clear up that confusion._

"I'm not..." came the whisper. "not... sulking--"

Then came the kiss.

_Oh, God._

Time stopped.  He couldn't think.  And when the world started itself again, Kaiba Seto found his arms twined desperately around Jounouchi's neck, leaning forward to return a kiss that had become hard and deep and much, much less chaste.

Seto responded.

He _responded._

Jounouchi was in panic. He had really expected this... Okay, maybe he did, but **really**! Kaiba Seto was kissing him back! Was he crazy, or did he just enjoy freaking Katsuya out? Of all the horribly ridiculous things.. This was most definitely not a game.

Not that the blonde had any complaints. This was.. Much to his own embarrassment.. His first kiss. Mental, he groaned at the bitter irony before Seto pulled him close upon his body, deepening the already urgent kiss. Almost without thought, Jounouchi gave himself to the strong arms that encircled him, pale, lithe hands snaking their way through the brunette's soft tresses. They were soft, like down, and Jou couldn't help but purr softly into the hot mouth he was sharing before trying to get even closer to the leather clad figure.

Horror would it be for anyone looking through that glass door.

Such as--

"Ahem."

They didn't notice the first time.

"A_hem_."

Or the second.

"_Gentlemen!_"

With a start, half-lidded eyes came fully open and Kaiba broke away from Jounouchi, face effortlessly metamorphosing itself into the usual impassive, scornful mask in an instant's time. He glanced toward the door to find Kurosuke's neutral countenance observing their short tryst.

"Good evening, Mr. Kaiba, Mr. Jounouchi," the security officer greeted them with a curt nod. "Mr. Crawford would like to see you."

"Ah.." Jou coughed lightly, still trying to contain the flourishing red that had convientantly taken up habit in his face this evening. With a flick of the head to remove golden bangs from equally shimmering eyes, he straightened his cloths lightly. "... both of us..?"

Another nod. "All the finalists of the Duelist Kingdom tournament have been invited to this ball. But only those select few who made it into Mr. Crawford's castle shall be meeting personally with him to hear his announcement. Please follow me." Turning, he set off slowly into the crowd, without waiting for the pair to follow. Kaiba wordlessly walked after him.

With a silly little grin flashed to the now stone cold Seto, the highway bandit slowly regained some composure and lowered his cooling face, following both the CEO and Pegasus' lackey through the glass doors and out once again into the large and open ballroom area.

Within minutes, the rest of the party joined them, all in the same situation as various members of the millionaire's staff led them along to where Kurosuke stopped briefly to wait. Among these was Yami, leather jacket now slung over his shoulder rather then adorning him and countenance rather set solid, crimson gaze placed directly forward and never straying. It was rather akin to the look he held when he made a particularly difficult move in a duel.

Mai, who had been dancing with Yuugi all up to this point, was once again regaining her determined look dashed with her cocky grin, and as she shifted from one foot to another, it was obvious she was ready for whatever was thrown at her.

Yuugi glanced forward as Kurosuke continued on, leading them down a side hallway past a phalanx of black-suited security guards that glowered at the group. This hall was much plainer and more functional than the ornate ballroom, and it came to a dead end with several doors lining the walls, presumably leading to various meeting rooms. Kurosuke opened one of them and waved them inside.

"Please, have a seat and make yourselves comfortable. Mr. Crawford will be with you in a few moments."

He could feel Yami's tension, and it was beginning to rub off on him as Yuugi followed the group inside. The meeting room was functional yet stylish; a long table in the center of the room stretched toward floor-length windows that revealed a glittering view of the Domino City skyline. Walking over to the table, he took a seat beside Yami, glancing around with slight nervousness and saying nothing. Kaiba sat down a few seats away, resting his elbows on the table and his chin against entwined fingers, frowning thoughtfully.

Yami truly wanted to take his aibou by the hand and pull both of them from the confines of this room, out of this hallway--out of this place completely.

//......//

It wasn't that he was scared, per say. After millennia within the Shadow Realm, Yami had grown some immunity to easy given fear. No.. What he was feeling was something different. Something he hated to feel.

_Dread?_

Why was it that he felt that, whatever it was Pegasus planned on telling them, would ruin something.... Normalcy? Well, Yami's life never really had run on that kind of consistency, yet now, as he cast a half hidden glance at Yuugi through his own cascading waterfall of bangs, he couldn't help but feel the need for it. After all, he had lived his full life, well past when he should have.. But Yuugi.. Yuugi hadn't. Did he regret not being able to live in a moments peace without being carted off to odd dangerous situations?

Yami wanted normalcy for Yuugi, not for himself.

Jounouchi coughed suddenly from where he sat beside Mai. There was a clear distance between Seto's seat and his own.

The room was so silent that Yuugi could hear the tension now.

_This isn't going to be good... I know it's not. But whatever Pegasus is up to this time, _he promised himself, _we **will** stop it._

And speak of the devil...

"Ahh! Good evening, everyone! I trust you've had a good time tonight?"

A door closed on the far corner of the room, and out stepped Pegasus J. Crawford from behind the pulled-back curtains of the floor window. He was dressed in a crisp black tuxedo with a small red corsage pinned at his throat, and in his hand he held an old-fashioned masquerade mask attached to a carefully-painted wooden handle. And as for his costume... A pair of white bunny ears, one flopped over slightly, were nestled atop the silver hair.

If it had been anyone _else_, Yuugi would have laughed.

"My dear guests," Pegasus continued with a smile, "it's wonderful to see you all gathered together again... And at my little soirée, no less! I'm honored that you have chosen to grace me with your presence. And without further adieu..."

He clapped twice, and Kurosuke walked silently over to the door his employer had walked out of, resting a hand on the knob.

"...I'm sure you are all," and the gracious smile widened, "very curious as to why I've invited you here, so I'll get straight to the point. As some of the best duelists in the world, you are now the first to hear that I have recently acquired a business partner." Kurosuke opened the door and motioned to someone on the other side. "I'm certain that with his expert guidance to assist me in production and marketing efforts, Duel Monsters will continue to be a vital, expanding property and a popular game for many, many years to come. It is my pleasure to present to you..." He swept a hand toward the door, and the assembled duelists turned to gaze upon-- "--Mr. Fujikawa Orisou!"

A middle-aged, unremarkable-looking man stepped out of the doorway, one hand stuffed in his suit pocket, the other raised in greeting. Yuugi blinked. _Is this... it? This is all Pegasus wanted to show us?_

Kaiba froze.

"Who the heck is he?" Mumbled Jou as all the tension he had gathered as Pegasus made his not so fancy introduction drained out from his muscles as the subject of such stepped into the room. Not that he minded, however, at least it wasn't some fire breathing monster or something to that accord. Flickering amber eyes, however, failed to notice as the man he had stood so intimately with only moments before seemed to turn to actual stone.

Not far away, Yami held the same incredulous thoughts, but still..

Something about this situation seemed off, and he choose not to let his gaurd down so quickly.

//It's too simple..//

Fujikawa approached the head of the table with a friendly smile. "So." His eyes rested on each member of the group one by one, acknowledging them. "Here at this table sit the best, of the best, of the best in all of Duel Monsters." When his eyes met Seto's, the ever-present-smile changed for just a split second--almost impossible to catch, and yet a very familiar kind of smirk indeed--the kind he gave Jounouchi every day. Kaiba swallowed once, keeping his mouth shut and his eyes trained on the elder man.

"It's truly an honor to make your acquaintance." He regarded the group as a whole again. "I, Fujikawa Orisou, promise to do my very best to see that the game you so love remains viable long into the future." He bowed humbly to the table. "Thank you very much for attending my little... coming-out party." With a hearty laugh and one last glance toward Seto, he turned and exited the way he had come.

Pegasus clapped his hands delightedly. "Isn't he a wonderful man? I'm very excited to have Mr. Fujikawa joining the Industrial Illusions team, and I hope you'll all support us in our expansion efforts. That's all, I'm afraid..." he said with a chuckle. "Thank you very much for coming! And I'm off to mingle now." With a smile and a wave, Pegasus too departed out the door. Kurosuke followed him out and shut it behind him.

Yuugi blinked.

"Well, that was anticlimactic."

Jounouchi and Mai nodded in perfect agreement, the female muttering something about a waste of her time."I don't get it.. All that just for... HIM? That ol' foogie..?"

Yami said nothing, but instead let his eyes wander across the table to the slender, darkly cloaked form that was Seto Kaiba. With dark bangs over hung in blue eyes, it was hard to discern just what he was feeling, let alone his expression. With narrowed eyes, Yami spoke.

"You know him, don't you, Seto?"

A bitter smile twisted the pale lips as Kaiba rose from his seat.

"His name's not Fujikawa Orisou. And more importantly, he's been dead for seven years."

Seto's gaze turned on the door that had just been closed, expression dangerous, eyes unreadable.

"I don't know what kind of sick game Pegasus thinks he's playing this time. But whoever that impostor is, he's not going to get away with impersonating Kaiba Gozaburo."

Yuugi's eyes widened as he turned to regard Seto. "Kaiba... Gozaburo...!?"

Jounouchi's amber eyes held heavy confusion as he gazed upwards towards the tall standing Kaiba. Obviously, the name did not have much effect on him--mostly due to the fact he didn't know who that was. Scrunching up his nose lightly, the blonde held an absolutely clueless face of child and glanced back at the closed door and the others.

"That guy's your dad..?"

Yami's jaw tightened unconciously.. //Of course. It's never that simple.........//

Kaiba never looked away from the door. Lips formed a thin line and the expression on his face was dark as he muttered, "Something like that."

Yuugi took a step toward him. "Kaiba-kun--"

But Kaiba had set off toward the door. Walking briskly over, he threw it open, shoving past protesting guards and into a dim hallway. Yuugi ran after him. "Kaiba-kun!"

Kaiba walked quickly down the corridor and ignored the young man next to him.

"Kaiba-kun," Yuugi tried again, expression worried, "what are you going to--"

"Yuugi." Kaiba cut him off with a glare. "You're always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong... Stay out of my business."

"I don't think so." Yuugi's gaze was challenging. "Kaiba-kun, if Pegasus is up to something- -and he obviously is--then it's as much my business as it is yours. Now what are you going to do?"

Kaiba scowled, looking away. "Find the bastard and make him tell me why he's impersonating Gozaburo."

"Don't you think that's a little hasty?"

"No." Kaiba offered nothing further, and Yuugi didn't ask. They walked together down the hall in silence.

//Yuugi!//

Yami didn't have much time to stop his convicted aibou as the young one jumped up and sprinted after Seto with equal speed, pushing himself past the already knocked over guards. There was a soft echoing of "Kaiba-kun!" as well as hurried foot steps, and the few guards struggled to regain their stance.

Immediately, Yami's protective complex blew over and with a determined gaze, he too jump from his chair and set off after the two, pushing aside the just standing up guards. They let a bit of an 'oof!' sound as one of Yami's strong hands cast them back, and his bangs became much displaced as he ran to catch up to the pair.

Jounouchi and Mai, however, sat in a sort of a daze till it settled in. With a suddenly flash of connection that the others had left them behind, Jou let out a futile "HEY! What about us??" before he moved too to get through to the rest of the party.

Mai did not make a move. Instead she made a general roll of her violet shaded eyes before raising herself from her chair and exiting out to the ballroom quietly.

"I wonder if that cute punch guy is still there.."

* * * 

It seemed they were collecting a procession. Yuugi nearly had to run to keep pace with Seto's quick, long strides, but he could feel Yami growing closer and was sure that Jounouchi, at least, wouldn't be far behind. They passed a nondescript door labeled "Ballroom" and kept going, further down the hall, until they reached another innocuous doorway. How Kaiba knew where he was going Yuugi had no idea, but at this door he stopped, turning the handle and throwing it open. Blue eyes searched the room for any occupants as he stalked inside, black cape swirling around him.

This room, too, was gifted with a set of floor-length windows. His back to them as he looked out on Domino City, Fujikawa turned to greet the pair with a cold smile.

"Seto. You're a little later than I'd expected."

Heavy, black boots clacked upon cold, faux stone floors and soon Yami caught sight of the two other boys, staring silently into one of the halls many open doorways. A dim, eerie light emptied from within; the glittering of the millions of lights from the city below no doubt. Pursing his lips slightly, he slowly reached a calmer pace as he drew near Yuugi and soon he too stood beside the pair. Eyes narrowed once again, he glanced up at the motionless Seto. He unconsciously hovered protectively near his light.

Jounouchi was not as fortunate. He arrived only moments later, but his breath what quick and he failed to notice the statuesque type pose his friends had taken. Leaning lightly upon his knees, he mumbled "Why the heck are we running?"

Wordlessly, Yuugi nudged his blonde friend and pointed up to where the object of their attention stood.

Seto gave Fujikawa no room to speak further. Stepping forward, he hissed, "You and Pegasus had this all planned out, didn't you? Who the _hell _are you and what do you want with me!?" 

Fujikawa raised an eyebrow, expression smug and catlike as he walked slowly down to meet the young man. "Language, Seto. I taught you better than that."

The young Kaiba's face was twisted with hatred as he glared at the elder man. "You," he spat, "are _not _Kaiba Gozaburo."

"Why, you're quite right, my boy." That smug, infuriating smile again. It was obvious where Seto had learned it from. "I'm Fujikawa Orisou."

One hand drew into a trembling fist at Kaiba's side, and he stalked closer to Fujikawa. "What do you _want_ with me!?"

That smile never left the man's face.

Jounouchi, now pointed into the right direction, watched in silent awe as the two Kaibas rage a war of wits right before the other three. Well, it certainly was obvious, if this truly was Seto's father, where the brunette got his.. special.. humor from. Jou's lips drew closed in a line and he slowly took up place in the doorway where Seto had just left and was now watching with a wary eye as the CEO lost his temper.

A small, delicate hand slipped it's way to clasp one Yuugi's shoulders.

//Aibou.. We shouldn't be here.// Though he spoke truth, Yami too was not exactly turning away from this display of not-so normal family spats.

One small hand reached up to touch Yami's briefly, but Yuugi's reply was firm.

/I have a very bad feeling about this. I'm staying./

"What I want... Well, it's quite simple, really. Even a worthless little prick like you should be able to understand," he added casually, the smile suddenly acquiring a vicious edge. Seto stiffened, some of the anger draining out of his face, to be replaced by a multitude of warring emotions.

"I am here, my boy--" He leaned forward into Seto's face, and suddenly the smile disappeared, replaced by a dangerous expression-- "to take back what you stole from me."

For a second, the young Kaiba stood there trembling, feeling the old man's breath against his face, saying nothing. Finally he took a step back.

"I...didn't steal anything from you," he said, trying without success to hide his nervousness.

A spark of anger flashed within the golden depths of Jounouchi's eyes. Never had he ever heard anyone speak to Seto in such a way and live to tell the tale, and Jou failed to see what should stop him now. For some reason it infuriated him to see him so silent to this.. nervous even! Nervous?! No.. The Kaiba Seto Jounouchi knew didn't know nervous...

It didn't help when the CEO's feeble response drifted to his ears. With a trembling breath, more out of unknown anger then fear, Jounouchi stepped forward swiftly, giving neither Yuugi or Yami a chance to pull him back from the fire... Not that they could have, anyway. As were Jounouchi's way, he was blunt.

"Don't tell me your getting all nervous on us, Seto! Don't let him talk to you like that!"

Seto gave no verbal indication that he'd heard Jounouchi at all. Indeed, he didn't even look over toward the blonde boy, his eyes still locked on Fujikawa; but nevertheless, he shook his head as though to clear it, regaining a modicum of composure. "And anyway--" He glared at the older man. "I couldn't have stolen from you, since I've never met you before today, _impostor_."

"Such an impostor, am I?" Fujikawa's lips quirked in a cold smile once again, slowly, ever so slowly walking toward Kaiba. Seto, for his part, slowly stepped back, wide eyes still fixed on the man. "You took control of KaibaCorp..." The smile twitched. "Unlawfully. If you catch my drift."

Seto took one more step behind, and found himself against a wall. Fujikawa casually rested one hand against the wall next to the young Kaiba's head, and leaned forward again. "Now... Who else would know a thing like that, my boy?"

Seto swallowed once. "You... you have no idea what you're talking about. You're just trying to put me off my guard--"

And it's working, isn't it?" The free hand shot forward before Seto could stop it, and suddenly a sword was pointed at Kaiba's neck. Fujikawa smiled.

"Ah, it_ is _real. I thought so. Nothing less than the best for my son, hm? At least you remembered _that_ lesson. But you've forgotten my most important rule, I see..." The smile was mocking now. "Always keep other people at arm's length, so you can see what they're doing. You lost your cool, you let me get too close... and now where has that gotten you?" A disapproving shake of the head. "You always were a disappointing child."

Kaiba was trembling. His eyes had never left Fujikawa's face the entire time.

"Seto!" Jounouchi tensed up as the swish of metal came to the pale neck of the helpless brunette, this man hovering over him with a haughty grin.

"Hold on, Fujikawa!" Came Yami's deep, rumbling voice as both he and Jounouchi stepped forward when the older man drew Seto's own sword, the cool, flawless steel deadly glimmering in the low light. Warm, protective hands having left the soft shoulders of Yuugi, Yami now approached the two cautiously. "Let him go!"

His voice and posture meant business, but Jounouchi wonder just what kind of command Yami could manage with this guy. Fujikawa was obviously off his rocker..

Then again, there was the Sennen Puzzle...

Yuugi winced as the sword point pressed against Seto's throat. _I knew something bad was going to happen... What're we gonna do...!?_

Fujikawa chuckled as he glanced toward Yami.

"I don't think so, young man. Now, if you all will kindly step aside," and he turned his attention toward the young Kaiba again, "Seto, you and I are going to take a nice trip down to the office and look at some ownership papers."

Seto fumed. "You bastard... I'm not going anywhere with--"

"You're coming." Fujikawa's gaze was hard. "Because there are so many things I can do to you if you refuse."

Kaiba was silent.

"For instance..." A dark smile flitted across his face as he turned to regard Yuugi, Jounouchi, and Yami again. "I could tell these fine young people all about how you..._inherited_ my company."

Step aside indeed! Of course he would not _step aside_! And neither would Jounouchi either, apparently.

Almost as soon as Fujikawa addressed him, Yami felt the presence of his fair haired friend rather keenly and soon he could feel the heated, anger puffs of air that was Jou's breath beside him. Not to mention the familiar young hand of his Yuugi upon his shoulder as he had done only moments before, a gentle support. So now he had all of them at his side... but what could they really do?

"All right. Maybe," murmured Seto, voice weary, "maybe I'll come with you. But there's one thing I wanna tell you first..."

Fujikawa raised an eyebrow. "Shoot."

A click. Something metallic pushed against the man's gut.

Seto cocked his head to one side and replied, "Learn to follow your own rules."

Yuugi watched with wide eyes, afraid to say or do anything that might disturb this tense moment.

"Put down the sword," Seto ordered.

Jounouchi practically cheered when the soft click, now so illuminated by the situation, echoed through the room, quite a lot more angelic then one would have thought. Connotation _does_ depend on personal experience.

"**Yeah**! Now that's the Seto I love!" With a defiant grin, Jounouchi watch on along with the two awed Yuugis to see just how the cocky Fujikawa would respond now.

The longsword clattered to the ground as Fujikawa... laughed.

"First you push me out a window. Now you point a gun at me." The vicious smile returned to his face. "How many times do you have to kill me, hm? You damned traitor..."

Seto's eyes widened. Yuugi gasped in surprise.

"Kaiba-kun... you... He-he's lying, isn't he? He's the impostor, right!?"

"Kaiba...?" Jounouchi suddenly looked very pale. Yami was far to busy trying to calm Yuugi, who was beyond horrified, to state his own opinion, but for some reason.. He had no quip about it. This man tested his nerves just by speaking.

Yuugi expected him to deny it. He expected a vicious shake of the head, a scowl, a glare, a "How dare you!", an "I did no such thing!"

This he expected. What he got was a long silence in which the gun moved from stomach to head, and stunned, whispered words.

"How... the hell... could you possibly know that?"

Fujikawa smiled.

"Because I was there."

The room seem to quiet considerably. Fujikawa's -- or whoever he was -- last words hung in the air like some deathly force and the only sound was the slight rhythmic thumping of five hearts. The gun in Seto's hand was trembling...

Suddenly, the room -- the whole building -- was filled with a shrill, horrific ringing. It bounced and echoed off the walls like a bouncy ball, and with it can the dying of all the florescent lighting in the building, no replaced by a thin wave of red.

_"EEEEE!! EEEEE!! EEEE!!!"_

Yuugi gave a start, squinting in the glare of the red lights. "What's going on?! I think we'd better get out of here...!"

The sudden shock drew Kaiba's attention away for a split second, and Fujikawa reached up, knocking the gun out of Seto's hand. "I'll see you soon, Seto my boy!" he shouted as he bounded across the room and out the door, too quickly for the stunned group to stop him.

"Kaiba-kun..." Yuugi rushed over to him. "Kaiba-kun, we'd better go..."

Kaiba looked down at his hands and made no reply.

"Yuug's right. Let's get the hell outta here."

Jounouchi soon joined Yuugi where Kaiba stood and with a fierce glare gave him a good tug off into the right direction. Yami himself soon caught up with his aibou, helping him along softly and all four began to escape they way they came.

//Yuugi.. Combine with me. I'll take over.//

/Yeah, you're probably right.../ Yuugi closed his eyes, and a moment later, the group had one less member. /Be careful, _mou hitori no boku_.../

Kaiba allowed himself to be dragged off by Jounouchi, and followed the other two boys silently back down the hallway.

The preliminaries were hectic. Once the small party HAD managed their was out of the building, they were engulfed by a whole crowd of people in equal situations... The crowd watched on wide eyed as the building itself was slowly covered in an orange and yellow flame, licking up the hard curves up the building ever so slowly.

So the alarm hadn't been false, that was for sure. To his right, Yami could overhear one of the cooks claiming his employee had started it and it got out of control.. In the distance the wailing sounds of fire engines could be heard and there was no sign of either Fujikawa nor Pegasus....

The group stood in awkward silence, slightly apart from the chaos of crowd and police and firemen, and watched uneasily as the hotel was slowly consumed. The only break in the silence was a thought from Yuugi.

/Well... I guess we should all be... getting home. I, um... hope Mai got out all right.../

Kaiba crossed his arms over his chest and turned away, looking out into the night with a dark expression.

The crowd of people were slowly dispersing ever so gradually as police and firemen hurried them off to their limousines. This, of course, didn't necessarily single only them out, and soon both Kaiba and the other two boys were shooed from the scene as well. More over, they now stood with the remained of the masses away from the flaming building as valets drove in one by one with the cars of those many esteemed guests. Obviously they were.

Jounouchi, leaning against one of the many tall, green hedges that surrounded the lot and the private gardens within them, shivered slightly in bitter, nipping air of the night, sun-kissed bangs quietly examining Kaiba Seto who stood not very far away... He was much to confused to approach him.

Yami, on the other hand, had found a quiet spot on the rim of a grand granite fountain the split the entrance way into the now diminishing hotel. With shut eyes, he calmly slipped from the world around him into himself.. His soul room.

Now standing in his area of Yuugi's mind and he quickly pushed open his door to approach his light's. This door had no locks nor traps, and it itself lay wide open. Smiling softly, he gave a light knock as warning before he stepped in. Immediately, he was met with pastel colors and soft plushies.

//I'm sure Mai's fine, aibou.. Are you? You seemed really upset back there.//

Yuugi looked up from his seat amid assorted toys and puzzles, and gave his other a somewhat half-hearted smile. /I'm fine. Just a little confused. But poor Kaiba-kun.../ The boy shook his head, rising from his bedside perch. /He's had quite a night, hasn't he? I just.../

A pause.

/I just don't know what to believe here, I guess./

Yami couldn't help but let his soften ever so slightly, opening his arms in an offered embrace to the younger half. Through golden locks, he offered a reassuring smile.

//Come here, aibou..//

Yuugi's own countenance brightened a bit as he walked over to his other, snuggling into welcoming arms. /Yami... You always make me feel like everything will turn out okay./

* * *

Back in the real world, all of Kaiba Seto's senses were on alert after the night's events, and he could feel acutely the eyes boring into the back of his head. The young man turned to regard Jounouchi in silence, his expression unreadable.

Jounouchi throat dry.. He would have said something if he could... But his mouth could form no words, his brain not wanting to express. The only sound he could give was an audible sigh before he once again lowered his amber eyes to the pavement. This night.. Hadn't ended like he would have liked it to.

_Too bad...._

The shadows hid Kaiba's gaze, and indeed much of his black-cloaked form as he watched Katsuya quietly, tension stretching between them. After long moments, he turned his head away. The words were almost too quiet for Jounouchi to hear.

"You must think I'm a monster."

"..Seto.."

With a hurt face, Jounouchi turned quickly towards the dark hair business man, unfortunately staring at the back of his head. His heart, however, was truly strung on a wire as he stepped forward and walked till the point he was facing Kaiba eye to eyes.

"..I don't.. And even if I did," he whispered softly, raising a free hand to cup on of Seto's cheeks, tips just barely grazing the soft, feather billows of brown hair. "You would be a beautiful one.. A dragon. _My_ Blue Eyes.."

Smiling.

Kaiba's heart pounded harder as he regarded Jounouchi, turmoil rising within eyes that widened instinctively, ever so slightly.

"Then you're a fool," he muttered, glancing away again.  But he did not move further, nor shy away from Katsuya's touch.

"So I am."

..With downcast eyes, Katsuya let his gentle hand slowly slip from the warm encompass of Seto's cheek, replacing it in a childish arm fold as he prepared to turn away. "A fool for trying, I guess."

And at that moment, a disturbing sound reached Jounouchi's ears: for Kaiba was laughing softly as he gazed down toward the ground.

"You didn't even believe him, did you?" he said hoarsely.  "But I did... I did... This is all fucking impossible because _I...killed...him_."

His shoulders continued to shake long after the faint sound of laughing had faded. Something wet suddenly soaked into the pavement below his face.

"God.. " Jounouchi shook his head with an gently sway and reached up to embraced Seto for all he was worth. So what if he was playing a constantly disappointing game.. But it still needed to be played. Kaiba wasn't allowed to cry. Pretty bastards aren't supposed to...

He knew he would be rebuffed but couldn't stand it. Slowly , Katsuya stretched a little higher -- Seto was taller then him -- and traced the glimmering, chilled trail of salt to gently parted lips with a hesitant tongue.

"Seto. Don't sulk."

Almost reluctantly, black-clad arms snaked around Jounouchi's body and Kaiba leaned into him, accepting the tentative explorations of the other's tongue without comment.

"I'm not sulking..." he whispered, feeling the warm feather-touch against his skin.  "...Katsuya."

And he laid his head against Jounouchi's shoulder and quietly sobbed.

* * *

The weekend, after such a confusing and horrible beginning, actually continued on fairly normal. The sun still rose and fell; the cloud were still fluffy as they lazily floated about the amber, autumn sky; the birds still sang in the crisp morning air.. 

All was serene, even for Katsuya, though in his heart he worried about Seto, the dark haired CEO, his Blue Eyes.. Ever since that night (for it was now Sunday evening) and they had parted their separate ways, he had not heard even a whisper from him.. Not that was entirely unusually. After all, Kaiba-kun was not exactly one for house calls before.. Yet didn't what happened warrant something? Katsuya had made it clear when the stone face Seto had stepped into his car that he was there to cry on if need be. And that was it.

Yami, on the other hand, was quiet undisturbed, really. True, the night of the gala did provoke some rather demented questions with equally twisted answers, but the pharaoh tried to push it all from his mind. Right now he was simply content to lie on the couch with Yuugi, telling him stories of Ancient Egypt when he ruled.. Of the grand pyramids he had built, the dangerous duels he had played, even stories of how he snuck away from the place as a servant just in order to admire his land through unregal eyes. His littler half, of course, hung to his every word like it was some fantastically real fairy tale, even when he had heard them all before. To be sure, the young one had his favorites.

It was what they were doing now this late Sunday eve... Waiting for Yuugi's grandfather to return from gathering a large new shipment of boosters that had just come in down town. With an exaggerated sigh, Yami ran idle fingers through Yuugi's own soft bangs before burying himself into the couch below. This sofa was _deathly_ soft.

Yuugi clambered up onto the couch alongside his other, nuzzling his face sleepily into the crook of Yami's neck.

"Must've been fascinating to live back then..." he murmured, smiling.  "And you tell your stories so well too.  I almost feel like I've been there."

"Mmmm.. I try, aibou."

Yami couldn't help but sigh contentedly as Yuugi curled up beside him, small, child like hands pressed against his chest with unknown innocence. But, no.. That was wrong to think that, wasn't it? Regardless of how close he and Yuugi were -- wasn't he off limits?

Crimson eyes snapped open to gaze into the innocence of violets and still his hand lay curled up in the gentle, golden tendrils of Yuugi's bangs.

_Off limits, Yami._

Yuugi looked up into his other's face with a sleepy smile.

"You know I love you, right, Yami?" he murmured.

Yami's eyes instantly flew from half closed to wide open, confusion littered on his face. No.. He couldn't have meant that literally.. Just as a friend to a friend. Yami instantly calmed himself once again, letting the tension surprise slowly drain from his body leaving a little bit of .. Disappointment. He let his litter half snuggle closer.

"Yes, aibou. Of course."

Yuugi's cheeks were very pink as he leaned forward. "Do you know how much?"

Moving upward, a small hand lightly traced his other's jawline as he planted a soft kiss on waiting lips.

_Okay, tension back! TENSION **BACK**!_

Not that Yami didn't like what he was receiving, but it completely caught him off guard. Almost literally fall from the couch to the floor, long arms stretched out to catch himself and unfortunately pulling him away from those plush lips. He quickly sat up.

"A-aibou.. You just.."

His gaze was met by an accepting smile.

"It's all right if you don't feel the same way. Just say so." He lay on the couch, head turned slightly to one side, hair a bit mussed, and shirt half-unbuttoned, delightfully rumpled as he looked up at his other with those glimmering amethyst eyes.

And Yami practically melted right then and there. The mighty pharaoh, the King of Egypt.. All his resolves died away with one look at the slender body laying outstretched for the taking upon the couch. Hair ruffled and bangs disheveled, a shimmer of smooth, flawless skin seen exposed in the half unbuttoned blouse. Yami couldn't help but moan at such a temptation and he shook his head vigorously ... leaning down to sprinkle soft kisses of resolve all about the outline of the delicate lotus flower, gently roaming hands sliding up the air-open flesh.

"Oh Ra, _no_, Yuugi! I do.. I do!"

Yuugi's smile widened delightedly, and he shivered with pleasure at the gentle touch exploring his body. Reaching around Yami's neck, he pulled his other back down onto the couch to return his kisses, small hands running through Yami's hair.

"I'm so glad... Yami..." he whispered.

Suddenly, Yami with drew, much to both person's displeasure, and shook back disheveled bangs, a small line of worry form upon his mouth. As they did, he looked down into amethyst eyes with a general sweetness and a lithe finger trailed down the form of his jaw.

"Yuugi... Aibou.. What about your grandfather? Anzu?"

Yuugi's expression sobered a bit, but the smile did not leave his face. He sat up, running a hand through his own hair.

"I know my grandpa. As long as I'm happy, I'm sure he will be happy. And Anzu..." His smile turned wistful as he looked away.

"I like Anzu very much, but I..." Amethyst eyes turned on Yami again.

"But I_ love _you." His eyes were overbright now, and he reached up to wipe at them with the back of one hand, still smiling. "And it's taken me so long to work up the nerve to say so, and now you're making it hard," he added with a laugh.

"Am I?" Yami gave his light a wistfully smile before reaching over to cup his face in his hands once again. "Well.. Let me try and make it easy." He smirked as he dove in---

"YUUGI!" A familiar voice echoed through the walls of the small house atop the game shop. Immediately, Yami's head flew up.

//Sugoroku!//

Yuugi pulled Yami's chin over, giving him a peck on the nose and an impish smile.

/Later, I suppose./

Rising, he fixed his slightly rumpled clothing and headed downstairs. "Hello, Grandpa!" he called.

Yami smiled as his aibou rose and ran off with one last childlike grin.

//Late indeed..//

..... Yet it seemed there was no time for "later." As quickly as the weekend went, so did that evening and in seemingly seconds it was already once again time for school. And again Yami watched from a silent soul room as Yuugi went about his daily, rushed morning routine, stumbling and running into the small classroom of 1-B just before the ringing of the bell.

Much to most's surprise, again there was no teacher. Strange how such a woman so avid to rules didn't seem to much care for them herself.

Katsuya Jounouchi was one quite lucky for this because he rushed in right after Yuugi once the bell had rung. With a heaved sigh, the golden hair threw his small, gray bag onto the floor without much a care and plopped heavily into his seat. He didn't dare look around for any sign of Seto.

Late again. But still earlier than the teacher.

Kaiba Seto was holding a cellphone to one ear as he stepped into the classroom. "No, I don't care how much he's asking," Kaiba snapped into the reciever, "I want it done by the end of the week. You hear me?" He sat down in his seat and looked toward the ceiling with a scowl. "No. _No_, we're not going to hire out anybody else. I pay those damn beta testers enough as it is. All right, all right... Look, class is about to start, okay? Call me after school, we'll get something hashed out." Rolling his eyes, the young CEO put his cell away before digging through his briefcase for school supplies, his gaze conspicuously kept away from Jounouchi.

_Ughhh..!_

Jounouchi's gaze wasn't as trained as his mind. Helplessly, he found himself staring once again at Seto. Not that he didn't do that anyway.. Quite unusual, really, but all those times before.. It had been out of childish spite. Now.. Now..

Katsuya's cheeks began to redden ever so slightly and he sunk quietly into his seat without further word, hastily trying to rearrange his bangs as to where it would become apparent how very much he was staring out of the corner of his eyes. Suddenly he became very conscientious of all the little things he did before that weren't even thought of in the past. Did his classmates see him? Did they assume? The classic symptoms of what had happened. Ahhhh, l'amour .. Damn l'amour...

_Look at meeeeeeeeee.._

A note landed on Jounouchi's desk.

Kaiba's head was bowed over a folder as he marked something in pen, seemingly oblivious to whatever Katsuya might be doing... while in reality he waited with bated breath, watching from the corners of his eyes to see when the little paper was opened.

_Katsuya, _it read,

_Meet me by the oak tree in the commons at lunchtime if you want to talk._

_I'm sorry, but I don't know what to say to you in public right now._

_Seto_

Katsuya tried very hard to hid the fact his cheeks got hotter. With a small, hesitant glance over to the seemingly unaware Seto, he nodded his head just in the barest of all manners before refolding the note quickly and placing it in the back pocket of his pants.

A few seats away, Yuugi's mind was filled with a knowing chuckle, unmistakably Yami's.

Yuugi smiled. /I wonder what they're talking about...? It seems to be a change from the usual trash-talk, at least...

I think it's rather... nice./

* * * 

As far as Seto was concerned, the next few hours of class zoomed by within seconds. The morning was a tense blur of anticipation, and he found he could hardly recall any of it now as he walked out to the school commons, holding a bottle of soda in one hand and an obento in the other. The oak tree he always sat under at lunchtime was a ways off from the rest of the commons, and the other students usually avoided it, because they knew who they would find there.

Reaching his spot, Kaiba sat down and placed the obento on the ground next to him, opening up the soda and taking an absent sip as he looked out toward the way he'd come from. Lunch hour had just started, and students were only beginning to file out into their customary places.

Jounouchi Katsuya had of course felt the similar thump of anticipation in his chest all that morning, yet unlike Seto, his time seemed to fall much slower than usual. All he could do was stare at the second hand until it reached that five...

No sooner had that bell chimed had Katsuya bounded out of the classroom, in a hurry to reach the common grounds where many students took their lunch period. The day was rather warm for autumn, less crisp and more of a sunny warmth. The amber-eyed boy quickly shed off his customary blue uniformed jacket.. not making to drastic of a difference since it _was_ usually opened any how. Bare arms now exposed (Yami had rubbed off his sleeveless fashion sense off on the young boy), he hurried towards the tall, outstretched oak, a half eaten dumpling held beneath his teeth and a few books tucked beneath his arm.

His blush slowly returned as he reached to spot where Seto stood and tried to offer a smile through food.

Kaiba had already started on his obento by the time the other boy arrived. Onigiri half-raised to his lips, he lowered it again as Jounouchi ran up, regarding the  blonde with a neutral expression.

"...Katsuya. Hello." Moving his obento box, he shifted himself slightly, allowing Jounouchi room to take a seat beside him.

Mechanically, Jou did just that. Shuffling his stuff off to the side, he couldn't help but lower his eyes as he shoved the rest of the dumpling into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed quietly. Looking up again, he waited and rearranged strands of mussed, blonde bangs from his eyes.

Jounouchi wasn't one with words.

".... Seto-" Jou paused. He struggled with the suffix.

"Never bothered with a suffix for me before." Kaiba took another sip of his soda before putting his lunch away. "No reason to start now."

Silence stretched between them for a few awkward moments, neither really knowing how to start the conversation. Finally, Kaiba turned to look Jounouchi in the face, leaning his head against the bark of the old oak.

"...Thank you. For... for Friday."  Thanks, from Kaiba Seto, did not come lightly.

Katsuya was well aware. He couldn't help but feel the small breath of a breeze on his now hot cheeks and he laid his head too to rest upon the tree.

"It was nothing, really..--not that it meant nothing or anything like that! It did! But --er.. I just thought I ought to.."

Instantly Jounouchi quieted again. _Stupid, stupid, STUPID! It meant **everything**. I should've said that.. But no. That would sound dumb, right? I wish I could just.... You never have to talk when you're doing that... I shouldn't have opened my big yap in the first place.._

Those distant, royal-blue eyes watched Jounouchi flounder for words, and Kaiba smiled slightly, almost wistful.

"Silly. Like a puppy."

But neither the words, nor Seto's expression held malice. "I know what you mean, Katsuya," he said softly.

Jounouchi's eyes fluttered, almost in the slightest of amazement. He liked it when Seto called him Katsuya..

"You're.. not upset?"

"Why in the world..." Seto blinked before shaking his head slightly. "I'd ask the same of you. I thought you couldn't stand me..." Shifting, he sat up a bit, head turning slightly away from Jounouchi--though his eyes were on the ground, his gaze looked inward.

"Then again, I thought I couldn't stand you," he murmured.

Hesitantly, Katsuya scooted over the barest of inchs, words faltering him where he hoped actions could. After all, wasn't over reacting always his forte? He was no poet.. No arist. But if he could!_ Oh, if I could, Seto, I would write you a thousand poems and then a thousand more..! Just about the glittering blue of your eyes..! Or paint you in all your glory, a beauty far more prettier to look at in real life. I would... Would you let me?_

"Seto.. I could never be mad--WOULD never be mad.. After that.." Quietly, a small hand slipped up to place itself tentively upon Seto's upper arm and suddenly Katsuya gained the most curious smile. "I.. like you. Sure, you can be a real jerk sometimes.. But I do. A lot. It's hard to hate someone when all you can think of is how much you'd rather be kissing them.."

Kaiba reached up to cover Jounouchi's hand with his own. He glanced down at their entwining fingers for a long moment in silence.

"I'm..." He sighed and started over. "I'm sorry... if I ever really hurt your feelings."

Royal blue eyes glanced up into amber once again, and he smirked. "But you're pretty when you're pissed off."

"Am I?" Katsuya suddenly whispered, voice low and husky as his hand began to intertwine further with that of Seto's. Eyes darkened to a rich amber, he smiled a sort of naughty grin and tried to heighten himself more so than he already was, drawing so near to the tensed figure of the young business man till he could feel the soft breath of his upon Jounouchi's own cheek. "Maybe we need to try and do that more often.. Except maybe visa versa."

Leaning forward with one swift movement, Katsuya snatched a quick kiss upon the soft regions of Kaiba's cheek, apt lips leaving the lightest of traces in dampnes before he suddenly stood, grabbing the small pile of books as he went. He winked, and turned to leave.

Such a tease.

"Try that on for size a bit.."

"Hey!" A hand reached out to wrench Jounouchi backwards by one sleeve before the boy could even get past the tree, and suddenly he found Seto's face next to his own, grinning.

"Cute, I'll give you that..." Running hands through Katsuya's soft hair, he pulled the other boy's face to his own, delivering a slow, hard kiss.

"...But I don't think you can beat me." Lips curled in a smile as he pulled back, letting go. "See you later, Katsuya."

Katsuya had let out the cutest of sighs as he was pulled unceremoniously to face the dark haired CEO. With slightly quirked lips, a pale pink against the lightest of tanned skins, he neither withheld his pleasure of being cajoled nor the fact that Seto's expert hands raked like a gently breeze through his disheveled mess of golden hair.... and he definitely didn't complain what followed.

As Seto pulled away from his little dish of torture with a faint good-bye note, a curious little smile appeared on Jounouchi's face.

"I don't think I'd want to be," he purred and leaned forward to capture yet another kiss. Rather a cat than a dog..  or a kitten to a puppy.

Obviously he no longer wished to leave.

"Jounouchi! Hey, Jounouchi...! Joun--"

Anzu's head popped around the tree just as Seto and Katsuya's lips met again.

"WHAT THE...!?"

Like a cat, too, Katsuya suddenly withdrew as if someone had slapped him in the face. With wide eyes and an exaggerated face, Jounouchi was far to uneager to face the doubtlessly horrified Anzu and instead feel back to 'hide' next to Kaiba's left side, burying himself into the warmth he found there. He used to much starch in his clothing.

"A-ha...ha.. Jounouchi!? Who's Jounouchi!? There's _noooo_ Jounouchi here~! Just Seto Kaiba and uh.. Some random guy--er- -GIRL--me!! Yup! That's it! Just _me_, random girl!"

After her initial startled look, Anzu gave Jounouchi barely a glance. Her expression darkened as she walked over to Kaiba and slapped him soundly across the face.

"Kaiba," she demanded, looking up at the young man with disgust, "what did you _do_ to him!?"

Startled, Seto reached up to gingerly finger his reddened cheek, and said nothing. His expression turned pensive after a moment as he glanced away.

"I didn't do anything," he stated tersely, shoving his hands in his pockets. "And if I had, I would be under no obligation to answer to _you_ for it."

_...at least I don't think I did anything. What the hell kind of question is that, anyway...?_

He frowned.

"Anzu.."

Katsuya had watched wide-eyed in amazement as Anzu stepped forward and landed her flat hand solidly upon Seto's cheek. His grip tighten the slightest about his slender form and the blonde boy slowly raised incredulous eyes of amber to the man holding him, defiance filtering about his supposedly emotionless face of cold grace.

Katsuya clutched the crisp blue fabric of Seto's school uniform, an expression of both shy anger and proffered comfort to the anti-blithe person beside him. He lowered his eyes as he suddenly stood from the warm circulate and straightened in front of the infuriated girl.

"He didn't do anything to me. He and I.." Katsuya suddenly grew quiet, turning his head barely to glance questioningly at where Seto sat. He was met with an icy blue kiss of a gaze. He returned focus to Anzu... He sported an impish smile, hesitant as it be. "... He's pretty."

Anzu looked almost as startled as she had moments ago.

"What are you...  This isn't a dare?  A bet?"  Her glare turned on Kaiba again.  "Or your sick idea of a joke?  Because I'm not--"

"I'm sorry if you don't approve, Mazaki," Kaiba interrupted, lip curling with disgust as his eyes moved back toward her face, "but I don't think it's any of your business what Jounouchi and I get up to in our spare time."  His lips quirked with faint amusement as he added the last.

Anzu looked even more taken aback, blushing as she glanced back and forth between the pair.  "But...  you...  Just last week you were at each other's throats!  Jounouchi," she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest, "what is going on here!?"

Katsuya fell a step backwards. His friend seemed so angry.. So upset. A faint tinge of a ashamed blush graced his cheeks. He knew he shouldn't be.. Why should he care? If he loved Seto then so be it!

_Wait a minute.. love? Love?! Don't you think you're coming on a bit strong there, eh, Katsu..? You can't really be **in love **with him yet... Can you?_

"I... Seto." Blindly he reached behind his back for some support, be it physical or verbally. He was in threat of tripping... Voice felt temporarily lost, his quirky smile had faded.

"Katsuya--" Jounouchi stumbled back and Kaiba reached over to steady him almost automatically, taking the groping hand in his own. His thumb stroked the other boy's palm absently as he glanced back toward Anzu.

"Jounouchi..." Anzu's expression had faded from anger, to confusion, with a touch of concern. They were silent for a moment.

"You know," said Kaiba, voice scornful, "I really don't give a shit what you think about me. But if you disown Katsuya because he's dating--" He stopped, seeming a bit flustered-- "because he's--...doing something you don't like, then you're twice the moron I ever thought you were." He finished with a classic Kaiba scowl, cheeks colored slightly with embarrassment at his verbal mishap.

Katsuya's blush deepened as he leaned against Seto's protective figure, once again revealing in the warmth provide from such cloth-barriered contact. Surely he shouldn't feel this was so quickly! It was crazy! It was.. mad.. But as Kaiba's words faltered, his spirits raised and did a double loop. Behind his back he intertwined his fingers into the other's slender ones.

_I love you... don't I?_

He laughed softy. Screw Anzu. He was going to tell Seto.. He had to. He couldn't believe it, but he had to tell him! Otherwise...

And the bell rang...

"God..." Anzu raised a hand to her mouth, looking as though she didn't know whether to be angry or mortified. "I--I didn't-- You--"

Shaking her head, she turned and ran off back toward the school.

Kaiba stood for a moment in silence before reluctantly letting go of Jounouchi's hand, kneeling down to retrieve his lunch.

"Well, I really don't feel like going back to class now," he mumbled, sighing.

Katsuya watch with a hurt expression as Anzu stumbled away. The look on her face just got worse.. It tore at his heart like a parasitic worm. Seto let him go and bending down to gather the few scant things he had brought out. Amber eyes, which had stared in deathly quiet at the air where Anzu had stood, feel to the ground. His voice was low at first.

"Take me with you."

Katsuya was met with an incredulous look.

"Please. Take me with you..? Where every you're going, I don't care. I just want to go with you."

His mind was on rewind and repeat like a broken answering machine._ I love him. **God**. I LOVE HIM!_

A smile spread over his face. "... Plus, it's been awhile since I didn't want to throttle you."

Taking Jounouchi's hand again, Kaiba smiled faintly.

"...I'm just going to go home. But you're welcome to come along."

Immediately, Jounouchi's mouth grew dry but his smile simply grew wider. "Oh? Really?" He snatched up his books, all the while holding tightly to the other's hand, followed by a wink. Katsuya always hid his emotions quickly. Embarrassing ones, any way...

"Shall we then? I want to see if I can make a dragon purr."

Kaiba gave the blonde a long, level glance as they walked, one eyebrow raised amusedly.

"That's not what I meant, puppy dog."

Katsuya couldn't help but chuckle softly as he lead the taller of the two along, though in all truth.. He hadn't the slightest where he was going, let alone where Seto's car was. Or WHAT it was..

_Something black and shiny, I bet..._

"Hmm... I know. I still want to try." He smiled playfully, pausing momentarily in step so that Seto came only inches from his own face. ".. You realize that nickname.. might become inappropriate soon. Anzu is fond of talking."

"Mm." They stopped not too far past the school gates, and Kaiba took his cellphone from his pocket, flipping it open and dialing. "Well, as stated previously, I don't give a shit. But I'll stop, if that's what you want."

One foot tapped impatiently on the sidewalk as he waited for someone on the other end to pick up. "Yeah, it's me," he said after a moment. "Yes. In front of the school. Yes, _now_," he said, tone turning exasperated. Turning off the phone, he shoved it back in his pocket, leaning against the school wall and crossing his arms over his chest.

_Katsuya..._

_I don't understand any of this. But I feel so elated, so..._

His eyes turned on the other young man again, a breeze ruffling Jounouchi's shaggy hair.

_...Lucky._

The blonde boy watched silently as Seto removed his phone..

_Wow... He has chauffeur..._

_Well, **duh**, Katsuya...!_

_Do you know what you're getting yourself into?_

"Nah.. I kinda think it's.." Katsuya searched for the word as he leaned back upon the cold, crisscross wired fence. A soft breeze blew past his hair, fluttering through a half opened blouse. He tossed Seto a loving glance. "..cute."

The breeze too had touched the face of the young billionaire, the soft bangs of earthy color blown out of place just  for the slightest of moments... But he caught his eyes.

_Yup! Definitely love him... Good lor--_

"How are you single?" Katsuya suddenly blurted out genuinely, then backing to the horror of just how stupid of a question that was. The things he said sometime..

Kaiba blinked. Far from looking as though Jounouchi had asked a stupid question, he seemed genuinely at a loss for words.

"Well, I..." He took a deep breath, glancing away toward the ground and uncrossing his arms, fingers absently finding the holes in the chain-links of the fence.

"I... don't get involved with people. Normally."

_Great. There's a shitload of questions just waiting to be asked..._

Kaiba sighed quietly.

Katsuya smiled. Somehow he had discovered flattery. The cold metal touched the back of his neck and he shivered. Winter was taking hold quicker than he had excepted. Oh well.. He missed snow.

"So why the hell is a guy like _me_ an exception?"

Kaiba laughed quietly, expression rueful. "I am about to sound unbelievably corny, but..."  His countenance sobered as he glanced up into Jounouchi's face again almost shyly.

"Would you believe me if I said I'd never felt this way about anyone before?"

A horn honked nearby as a sleek silver limo came into view down the road.

"Awwww! How cute!" came the squealish reply. Jounouchi couldn't resist making the small, fan girlish voice at Seto's confession. Yes, he knew he shouldn't be mocking him, but he was just playing after all!

_You're endearing when you're sappy.._

Despite the deathly glare he was suddenly shot, Katsuya decided to amend his childish fun with a gentle kiss upon the other's nose...

"..I believe you." The horn quickly broke through.

A light, but nonetheless obvious blush spread slowly across Seto's face. He took the opportunity to look toward his limo as it pulled up next to the curb.

"Well, here we are."

He opened the door for Jounouchi and they climbed inside.

* * *

With a miserable sniffle, the small, thin figure of a young teen huddled quietly within his bed. It had grown quiet again, and from underneath heavy bangs of gold, eyes of the deepest crimson were just about to close when... Ah. Knocking...

_Whack, whack, whack!_

Damn that noise.. it was almost as bad as the infernal beeping. Almost. It was equally repetitive, loud, and..

Yami shivered and drew the thin blanket closer to him.. So he hadn't come out from his soul room, let alone spoken much since Sunday night... Was that so wrong? 

_WHACK!_

/Yami? Yami.../

Yuugi knocked on the door over and over, feeling almost frantic as he recieved no answer, verbal or otherwise.

/Please, Yami... what's the matter? Please come out...! I'm worried!/

He could feel tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.

/Yami... did... did I...?/

With yet another stuffy sniffle, roaming hands struggled weakly to disentangle himself from the confines of his blankets. As soon as the cool air touched his skin, however, Yami moaned and dove back in... Not as if his legs much wanted to work anyway. 

_What's wrong with me..?_ wondered the exhausted pharaoh sleepily as he finally settled on taking the entirety of his bedsheets **with **him. _I'm not... Am I? No.. That's impossible!_

Not that that helped. In fact, it probably made it harder for the weakened, thin body of the physical teenager to drag himself AND half the bed along with him as shivering hands struggled with mind locks. The dark room was suddenly filled with a warm light from the opposing room, now an open parallel, as well as the boy mirroring him in the doorway.

//Nn.. Aibou..?// Yami peeked out miserably from within the cave of cloth he had created, eyes overbright not of his own will. //What's --// //..wrong-nhu.//

/...Yami?/ Worried amethyst eyes looked in on the face of his other, and Yuugi walked over to the bed. Was it his imagination, or did the ancient spirit look rather...

/Yami.../ He couldn't help the slightly bemused smile that curled his lips. /Are you... sick?/

The ruffled Yami looked up bewildered. Sick? No! He.. he never got sick. He quickly shook his head as he stumbled back over to where his other half sat, tired head resting once again on the softness of the bed.

//Sick? The Phara-uo.. doesn't get sick-du..// This was followed by a dejected sniff. For a moment, he disappeared beneath the mountain of sheets.

Yuugi stuck a hand under the bedcovers and groped around until he found Yami's own. He tugged on it imploringly.

/Come on... Come out to the real world, and we'll get you some chicken soup and some medicine. I don't know if you'll get better just lying in here.../

Once again, dark red eyes appeared within view, shimmers of light echoing through the iris in deep glance. He pressed the soft hand that held his tenderly to his own burning cheek, despite the scowl sported on his face.

//Puh.. The real-uh.. world. That's probabulah what made me like this in the the first place..!// His face soften as he coughed in short fit of irritation. //Besides.. I doubt sihple chicken soup 'll get rid of dis.. //

Yuugi smiled gently. /But it might make you feel a little better. So,/ and the smile didn't move an inch as he continued with, /are you coming or do I have to tie you up and drag you?/

Evidently, as far as Yuugi was concerned, there wasn't going to be any argument.

Even in sickness, Yami gained a soft smirk as the gently hand he clasp was brought to his mouth and delivered the softness kiss.

//Mmm.. tied up.. Not a bad idea.// Eyes sparkled with mischief. 

Yuugi laughed delightedly. /Stop that. You're giving me germs and bad ideas at the same time. Now c'mon, I want to get you properly taken care of.../

//So?// Yami purred, smiling at the small chuckle he had received. With a childish puppy dog pout, he offered argument. //You get to miss school for a bit.. Spend some more time with me..?//

/You're stalling./ Nevertheless, Yuugi's smile was still as bright as he leaned over to give his other a peck on the cheek. /Now, come _on_./ He tugged on Yami's hand urgently. /I mean it./

//Stalling..? Who's stallin-uh?// With a hopefully seductive smile, Yami gave a generous tug to the hand he held beneath his fingers, and after a few moments of rearranging and laughter, the darker half managed to pull his other beneath his cave of blankets, gently pinning the younger one down with agile hands. Wide-eyed and helpless, Yami grinned. //Newton's Law. Ever action has a reaction.. You pull, I pull back.// 

So he did pay attention in school.. Sometimes.

Yuugi looked up at him with an indignant, but playful smile. 

/You're incorrigible./ Reaching up, he wrapped his arms around Yami's neck and pulled his other down next to him, giving him a long kiss. /Fine, then... We can stay here for a _little _bit./

* * *

The ride there was fairly uneventful.

The novelty of riding in a small house on wheels was finally beginning to wear off, but Katsuya was still quite amused by the built in DVD player on the armrest. Though quite tempted to touch on of the millions of buttons on the small consol, the memory of a not to distant accident with a hidden compartment with extra batteries left the blonde boy quite wary, and instead he sat respectively close to the other person who shared the back seat (which in reality Jounouchi onsidered more of a large cushioned table), that being Seto. A small shiver of happiness shot up his spine at every slight graze of the man's hot breath to the left of his neck. 

It had been all in respectable silence... That is, until Katsuya feigned a look up as the car slowly approached the towering, iron wrought gate. He could help but let out a gasp of awe as he finally saw what he was supposed to be seeing in the first place.

To Seto, of course, the sight of the four floors of the Kaiba mansion, majestic and vaguely Gothic in shape, was one he saw every day. No, his attention was not on the house, but on the awed blonde boy sitting next to him. Kaiba couldn't help but smile slightly at Jounouchi's wonder.

"Yes, it's a bit ostentatious, isn't it?" His gaze turned toward the front seat, where the glass separating driver and passengers rolled down slowly at the push of a button near his seat. "Matsuno, take us around to the back door," he ordered.

"Nn.." was pretty much the only thing the blonde could manage as he crawled slightly over the dark haired boys slender form to get a better view.. Not that the already obnoxiously large window need much further rearranging... Though this position did not seem hated by either one.

As instructed, the large limo swirled about the larger, left side of the mansion, glittering under the masses of large, ancient oak trees littered in golds and reds, Some bare. The back was, by far, not as impressive as the front, but still quite large all the same. With a foolishly cute tone, Jounouchi squirmed in the vicinity of Seto's lap.

"You live in a _shopping mall_..!"

"Mm. If you say so." Kaiba was having a hard time paying attention to anything except a warm, exquisite body worming its way onto his lap. Taking advantage of the moment, he wrapped his arms around Jounouchi's chest, resting his chin on the other boy's shoulder. He blew a lock of blonde hair off his nose with a contented smile.

_I... could get used to this._

Katsuya held his breath as thin, strong arms moved about the solidity of his chest, coming to clasp tenderly at the lower part of his stomach. Back against the other's abdomen, the blonde melted. He pressed his own body back ever so slightly, conforming to that who held him so tenderly. A hand trailed up to touch the smooth skin of Seto's cheek, his voice low and sweet.

"... You_ are _pretty..."

"...Glad you approve," murmured Kaiba, still smiling slightly. "Though I've got nothing on you." He leaned into Jounouchi's touch slightly, reveling in the warmth and softness of the other boy all over him.

The driver cleared his throat conspicuously. "Ah, sir... we're here."

Jounouchi found himself once again thrown from a sweeten comfort by another's interruption. With a silent sigh, the boy removed himself slowly from the embrace of the other, reaching to open the door... Yet eyes of amber seemed to twinkle.

_Oh well... There's always later._

They climbed out and headed inside, the limo pulling away as they walked down a cobbled sidewalk to the ornate back door. Rather than digging through his pockets for a key, Kaiba placed his palm firmly against a security console next to the handle.

'Handprint verified,' said a pleasant female voice from a small speaker underneath the console. 'Kaiba Seto. Please enter.' The door swung open slowly of its own accord. Kaiba took hold of the handle and stepped aside, waving Jounouchi in.

The inside was even more impressive then the outside. Katsuya stared yet again in a state of awe as Kaiba led him down one of many halls. With widened eyes, he silently labeled everything: shiny, expensive, **really **expensive. Sure, Jounouchi had never exactly lived on the high rise but he wasn't exactly poor either. Despite all that, really this was the most impressive place he'd stepped into in quite awhile. 

_And it all belongs to him..._

He watched silently at the back of Seto, the numbing blue of his jacket clashing brightly against the white wash walls. 

_How could someone so young.. so **young**.. own all of this? _

Katsuya's mind seemed to refuse to process this information. The blonde reminded himself that it _was_ inherited, but all the same.. Kaiba was a ruthless business man.

_How can someone so young be ruthless?_ He corrected himself. _How can someone so **beautiful** be ruthless?_

_How could someone so beautiful be willing to spend time with **me**...?_

Strange the parallels that can be found in people's thoughts.

Kaiba sighed almost inaudibly as they walked down the short back hallway, passing a couple of doors before coming to a small tile-floored area that looked like a miniature kitchen. Along two walls ran a countertop with cabinet space, a microwave, fridge, and stove, and in the middle of the space was an island with more countertop and a few three-legged stools scattered around it. On each side of the little area, tile gave way to carpet and crisscrossing hallways once more--as they walked in, one continued on directly in front of them, and there was another in the far left-hand corner of the room. Kaiba walked over to the fridge and opened it, peering inside.

"Augh," he grumbled under his breath, "Mokuba, you drank all the tea again." Seto glanced over to his guest as he pulled out his consolation prize, a jug of orange juice, and proceeded to pour himself a glass. "Something to drink, Katsuya?"

As his hand was freed and they entered the "small" kitchen, Katsuya took perch upon on of the stools and watched on with easily swayed interest. The host's offer flew over him as he was suddenly vastly interested in the fact that the ceiling was way to high... Richly high.

"Your house is _huge_.. and I've only seen a third of it! Not even!"

Obviously, Jounouchi did not let things go so easily. Hopefully other's found this more endearing rather than thinking him slow... _Hopefully._

Seeming to realize this, he blonde quickly lowered his eyes back to Seto again with a embarrassed smile.

"Ah.. I'm sorry--you must think I'm really dumb or something." He raised a hand to brush away a lock of hair. "It's just.. I mean, man, I knew you were rich but I never actually imagined it.. I kinda guessed you lived in some sorta 'business' efficient apartment or something."

Kaiba returned the jug to its place in the fridge before taking a seat beside Jounouchi, sipping thoughtfully at his glass of juice.

"Heh... To tell the truth, we don't really use the whole house. Mostly just this section that we're in right now... It's got this kitchen, and some bedrooms and things. Not much need for a place the size of a major hotel when it's just the two of us." He shrugged. "But it was inherited. Mokuba and I've lived here for years..."

Kaiba was silent for a second before clearing his throat. "But, are you sure you don't want something to drink? I'm going to go change out of my uniform in a second."

_Inherited... Pushed from the window..._

Two and two never fit correctly.

"Mm..." Katsuya snapped himself from mid-thought. Now was not the time to bother himself or Seto of those things.. Really, up till now, he had completely forgotten about the incident that almost stole his.. _his _Seto's life. Not that he could ever.

No, now was a time to reveal in the moment. After all, he was in Kaiba's house, sitting on Kaiba's chair, getting offered Kaiba's orange juice... Why should anything else matter but that, anyway? He glanced up, once again catching the gaze of cerulean blue. Perfect, pink lips were once again opened ever so slightly as they finished forming words that sent a coy smile to Jounouchi's own.

_Yes, live in the moment..._

"Oh? Can I help?"

That one caught Kaiba off-guard, a blush coloring his cheeks as he glanced away, expression suddenly closed-off once again. He finished the rest of his juice in one big gulp and rose, absently wiping his mouth with the back of one hand, looking toward the left-hand hallway.

"Ah... c'mon, I'll... show you my room."

Katsuya couldn't help but smile. He quickly stood from where he sat and walked over to join his pretty little companion, the small part of his hand curled up to cradle Seto's cheek as it burned a faint red.

"You're cute when you blush."

his made Seto blush further. He was just short of opening his mouth to reply when he realized he had absolutely no idea what to say.

_I am Kaiba Seto, and for once I am without a witty comment. See what you do to me?_

"...Shall we?" he said after a second, clearing his throat and heading toward the hall without further adieu.

"Hmmm.. I would've rather pushed you up against the wall and ravished you, but hey.. Whatever you want!"

Katsuya smirked softly through bangs of gold as a rather flustered Seto left his grasp. Inwardly, he was laughing hysterically.. Who ever thought he could.. HE could such an effect on a man he used to think never showed much else but contempt for him.

Taking this all in stride was to hard.. Katsuya would have preferred running...

_I guess I'll... change in the bathroom. **Why** the hell did I bring him with me anyway...!?_

_...because I love having him around me... just hearing his voice..._

Kaiba sighed faintly, missing Jounouchi's last raunchy comment in his preoccupation.

They traveled a good distance along the hall, passing several doors, before coming to a closed one on the right. Kaiba pulled a small key out of his pocket--this, unlike the back door, had no fancy security pad--and unlocked it before stepping inside. Without waiting for Jounouchi, he walked through the little alcove at the entrance and headed to the left part of the room. 

Seto's bedroom was no less impressive than the rest of the house. The little alcove, hung with coats and umbrellas and other such things, opened into a long, spacious area decorated in white and denim blue. Along the wall to the right was a set of low, polished wooden drawers, their surface cluttered with all manner of clothing, books, papers, and electronic gadgets, curving around the corner and continuing all the way to the large bed near the far side of the room. On the opposite wall was a spacious closet and a door leading to the bathroom, its door slightly ajar as Seto changed inside. A few feet beyond the bed was a wall taken up largely by some very long patio windows leading out onto a balcony.

"I feel like I'm in a beach house or something'.." Katsuya mumbled softly as he pushed himself through the opened door, happily met with avid colors of white and blue. With a delicate lick of his lips, he found his eyes wander to where Seto had disappeared.

_Hn._

For a few moments he wandered. It was so strange.. so odd to think that he, Jounouchi, was standing here in Seto's room. Had anyone claimed this only days earlier he would have gave them a pretty little outburst of 'what the..?' to contend with. Now.. Everything seemed to happen so quick. Kaiba had opened a door, if not a small one, of his life to Katsuya.. And as the blonde stared down at the small, ornate trinkets here and there, he couldn't help but feel.. Special somehow.

"Listen to you. You sound like a silly school girl," he chuckled softly to himself as he stared quietly back into a small mirror that lay hung over one of the many dressers. Looking at his reflection, the boy made a small face of disgust as he realize just how messy his hair was. Honestly, Seto must have been out of his mind! He could do better. Katsuya made a childish pout.

Without much thought (as that never was his style.. Ahem), Jounouchi turned upon a heel and head into the bathroom.. Seemingly forgetting what the dark haired beauty was doing in there (not that he'd have any qualms about seeing anything) in order to question Kaiba on exactly that.

"What are--"

Kaiba whirled around to meet Jounouchi's sight, black pants undone, shirt still in his hands, and scars exposed to the world.

Time froze for a second.

"K--Katsuya...!" Turning around again, hardly allowing himself to think, before he did anything else he zipped up his pants and pulled on his white tank top and dress shirt. His uniform lay in a pile on the floor, and he turned to pick it up without meeting Jounouchi's eyes.

Time did indeed freeze.

"Kaiba..?"

Despite feeble attempts to cover himself up, Katsuya had seen exactly what he shouldn't have--not meaning just exposed flesh. No, instead his eyes had been trained on something else.. Something much more. Dark gashes had littered about the smooth skin, he had saw.. Some dark red, healing from not to distant mutilation, others long since healed and bright white, like burning iron.

Katsuya slowly stepped forward and, despite protests on either part, placed soft hands upon either side of the slender figure before him. With a focus gaze, he slipped them under the white shirt, pushing up in one motion and taking the smooth fabric with it. Once again, the face of what he had seen earlier was unmasked. Small lips pursed.

"What's this from?"

Kaiba's gaze traveled down to the hands against his exposed flesh, and he could feel his heart pounding very hard as silence stretched between the pair for a long, agonizing moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was a murmur, expression hard to make out as he said:

"Just... me."

This was... more than just a door. And somehow this hurt him, tore at him in a way he least expected. The blonde's eyes never left one of the big gashes that lay receding down the fine line of a muscle, the dead color of it sickening him. A hand removed itself from where it lay and he tried to trace it, horrified.. instead it simple grazed the flesh below it.

Katsuya's voice was low, desperate.

"Why..?"

Kaiba did not answer for a very long time. There was a constricted feeling in his chest, not quite real, not quite painful, but uncomfortable; and somehow he could not bring himself to look up into Jounouchi's face.

"Don't know really... how to explain..." he mumbled, moving to sit down on the lid of the toilet, clothes piled in his lap as his eyes gazed toward the tile floor.

"I just..." His voice was a whisper now.

"Sometimes, when it hurts enough, I can forget... like I could... go away."

He shook his head slightly, as though that still didn't capture the gist of it, dark bangs obscuring his eyes with his head still bowed slightly.

A small hand, now grasping air, trembled lightly and fell, as did it's owner. Before Seto, on his knees, Katsuya reached out to him.. Trying to capture his eyes, trying to grassp sanity behind such an act. Hands were brought to capture hands and he held tight.

"I never knew." He kissed a fingertip. That's all he could think to say. For once, words crumbled like ashes when spoken. He would just have to rely on touch.

Seto tried to keep himself from trembling. He didn't think he was doing a very good job.

"Neither did anybody else..." he mumbled. "You weren't supposed to--to see--"

Shaking his head, he leaned forward and fairly collapsed into Jounouchi's arms, burying his face in the crook of the blonde's neck.

He shook his head again feebly, shuddering against the other boy. "You know... too fucking much about me..." The words were accompanied by a humorless quirk of the half-visible lips that almost resembled a smile.__

"Hm." Katsuya forced a sweet, half-hearted smile at the boy's grim quip, holding the shivering figure beneath him tightly. He just wished that.. For God's sake, he could take this pain away from Seto. He didn't deserve it. No one did.

"I love you too."__

His eyes snapped wide open at that.

Slowly disentangling himself from Jounouchi's embrace, Kaiba leaned back to where he was once more supporting his own weight, and gazed into Katsuya's face. Seto's expression was incredulous, as though looking at the other boy and seeing something he had missed every time before. He could find no words to express the wrenching of his heart--and so he settled for seizing the other boy's collar and dragging him into a hard kiss, still trembling slightly.

At the Kaiba house, they'd never been taught how to say 'I love you.'__


	2. Again

_Rat-tat-tat.. Rat-tat-tat.._

It was night time already.. Late. Bakura always got home late.

Ryou Bakura sat, quiet, alone in the empty and rattling car of the long subway. The white haired boy seemed almost angelic as he leaned against the defaced and old plastic benches, hair tumbling ever so slightly with every rattled of the frequently rocking train. Subway E45, from Domino to Ugo-Isaigani, thought the boy, half hooded eyes of melted chocolate staring listlessly at the dirt stuck in the small crevasses of the black mat that partially covered the metal floor. Sleep wanted him.

Unlike the others at his school, Bakura did not go there due to mere convenience of distance. Obviously that was not the case, despite the fact Bakura often joined his small group as they walked home. He, unlike the most, continued on in another thirty minute to the subway system than proceeded to wait another hour and a half for the next one that went his way... Winter claimed night faster, so he wasn't surprised as it got dark.

The remnants of homework lay scattered about the young boy as he swayed there, half asleep. Bakura had never exactly been afraid of riding alone. Never afraid... 

He pressed a smooth cheek to cold glass as the car gave a particularly violent jolt. The area slowly began to fog up under his hot breath and beneath layers of clothing, he felt the edges of his Sennen Ring softly dig into flesh.

Besides, when was he ever alone?__

Speak of the devil and he will appear.

Or he'll start yelling irately at you, anyway.

/Aren't we home yet!?/ demanded the impatient voice of the Yami who was currently stretched out inside his soul room, idly tossing a dagger back and forth from hand to hand. Bakura's other half had interesting tastes in playthings. /I'm tired of sitting here watching you try to stay awake. What are you so worried about, anyway? If somebody tried to hurt you, I'd just rip their heart out, you little idiot...

Mmm. Blood./ The yami quieted for a moment.__

_Ha.. I admire your devotion,_ Bakura thought silently, tucking one hand tiredly beneath his now cooled cheek, pushing aside strands of snowy white hair. The air outside was getting quite crispy.

//Precisely that...// He murmured quietly though his link. Really, he shouldn't fall asleep on the train.. It had happened once before and he had awoken in some unknown town. Thankfully, some kind person a few cars away had offered him a ride home, but still... It was not something he cared to repeat any time soon. With a wistful sigh, Bakura smiled.. Fondly, in a grim sort of way. 

//Why don't you come out then? That way I won't fall asleep and.. hopefully you won't be quite as bored.//__

/Oh, all _right_./ The yami's tone was irritated as though Bakura had been the one pestering _him_, rather than the other way around. One second Bakura was alone in the car and the next a boy sat beside him who could have been his mirror image--except for the batlike turn in the locks of the white hair, and the kohl-outlined eyes with their somewhat deranged expression.

/There, are you satisfied?/ hmphed Yami Bakura as he draped himself shamelessly over his other half, one leg swung across the boy's crotch. He didn't bother to speak aloud.__

Bakura never got used to his other half outrageous behavior, though by far he really should have. It had become more and more frequent in such a short time, leaving the small, light-haired boy in quite a nervous state. Leaning back deeper into the chair, he with held a shattered breath and forced a gentle smile.

So maybe he was a little afraid.. But not for himself. More for what his Yami would do next... And the rather confusing positions he'd put him in.

"Y-yami... You really shouldn't do that here."__

"Why not?" His yami's voice was slightly slurred, but very audible as Bakura leaned over to nip at his other half's earlobe. "No one here. And even if there were, I don't give a rat's ass, and you _did _want me to come out now didn't you? And now I'm not bored." He leaned over into Ryou's face to give the other a wide smile before returning to his explorations.__

"Yami!" Bakura let out the sweetest of gasps as the other leaned into him, painful nips upon his ear rewarded with the following of soft, teasing licks. Though obviously uncomfortable with this whole situation, the young boy failed to struggle and instead let this heated onsault continue, if not making verbal protests... Then again, the little moans he kept on slipping by accident didn't exactly bode well for his case. 

"I care.. What if.... Ah.. someone comes in?" Once again, chocolate eyes fell half mast. "This must be against the law or something..." __

//And I care about the law since when?// Yami sent the mental equivalent of a smirk as he switched to soft feather-light kisses, moving slowly from Ryou's ear down his jawline to his neck as one hand found the hem of the boy's shirt, slipping underneath to glide possessively across the pale, perfect skin of his aibou.

//Besides... this is a perfect way to pass the time.//

Bakura let out a dark whimper as a hand slide up his chest, far from gently, and was accompanied by a pepper of soft kisses. It was always like this lately, not that he wasn't always a little forward but.. The slender boy sighed. The glass was growing misty again.

_But he doesn't actually **feel** anything for me.. Unless you count territorial possessiveness._

"Don't.." He finally managed to say, his voice hopefully firm enough. Struggling from beneath the hot body above him, Bakura was able to make his way a little off. "I'm sorry." Though his body screamed reluctance, his heart stayed firm against it and after flashing his other have an apologetic smile, he grabbed a few books that had been left earlier.. He tried not to look up.

"Our stop is coming up soon."

"Mmmmmph." Bakura whined rather like a spoiled child as his other squirmed away from him, but he allowed the boy to break their contact. However, he did reach over and yank the other's collar to his face, delivering a long kiss before allowing Ryou to return to his place.

"I don't like being told no," he declared with a scowl, crossing his arms over his chest with a sulking expression.

"I know... Please forgive me. I have my reasons." 

Despite the sensual kiss he had just received, Bakura's expression still remained the epitome of a small, sad smile. Reaching forward to grab his bag, he slowly began depositing his books and papers into it. However, he withdrew sharply as a small piece of paper sliced skin rather deeply on the index finger of his left hand. With a pouty face very akin to the one his yami had sported not to much earlier, if not more childish, Bakura examined the wound as a small drop of blood formed and fell. It was deeper then he thought.

"Hmph... yes, you just can't stand me. That's your reason." Curling up next to his aibou's side, Yami grabbed the offending hand and gently set tongue to finger, licking at it with a manner somewhat akin to a cat cleaning its own wound. //Here, let me.// He smiled a bit unpleasantly, knowing he was doing exactly the opposite of what his other desired.

Bakura bit his lower lip as his hand was snatched up. He couldn't resist but lowering his head enough to rest his cheek upon the softened tresses of his other as he worked, nibbling and sucking upon the wound. _Of course.. Blood. It would be nice if I were blood. Maybe then I'd get a little something more than just.._

"No, that's not it, Yami. Really... I just wish you were more.." He paused and then said nothing further.

"Now approaching.." a masculine voice boomed over the intercom. "... Ugu Isaigani."

Yami looked up as they came to a stop, Bakura's finger still in his mouth. He returned the appendage to its rightful owner with an absent pat as the doors opened, hopping up and walking over to the exit, foot tapping impatiently.

"More what?" He demanded. "And _walk_ while you're talking."

With an almost inaudible sigh, Bakura hefted himself up, taking his small back with him. His finger grew cold again, a dim reminded of the spirit that had... 'held' it only moments before. He stepped beside his yami before exiting out the small car into an empty station. No one usually liked to linger in the large station.. With good reason. It was a bit creepy.

//I hate this place.//

Bakura was avoiding the previous question as he walked, though he stayed considerably close to his other.__

Yami was unafraid. Indeed, it would have been remarkable if he _had _been. But here, he knew, lurked things that liked to pretend, at least, to be as deadly as himself...

All right, so maybe they were. Almost. It was this that quickened his step and narrowed the dark eyes, this day and every day, as they traversed the dim station.__

Bakura had never liked this old station. Despite he himself living in a fairly middle class section of the small area, he never really ventured in this area much other then to come to and from school. The station had long since fallen back on the community's 'To Do' list and now lay pretty much unkept. Trash littered the corners, kicked aside.. The remainders of rips flyers clung to the wall as well as hastily scrawled graffiti. Even the heater in this place was broken and Bakura had to rub his palms together to manage any warmth. His yami's haughty expression did very little to ease his anticipation. Was he expecting something?

With a dejected sniff, the white-haired boy raised weary eyes as the sickening scent of cigarette smoke wafted through the air by his nose. With curiosity, he look towards it source.. Only to find himself more uneasy. Two men sat, or rather leaned, silently upon the gritty, tiled wall. They really looked not much older than Bakura himself, but there demure made them a threat... The tall one, from which the smoke was coming, actually was attractive. Chin length hair a dark crimson shimmered straightly beneath the flickering florescent light, matching the usual attire of black leather. Half hooded eyes of a flickering green glanced up from under the cascading tresses and he smile. His tough looking companion seemed to follow his line of sight as he stopped babbling. Bakura tried to shrink into the shadows.

"Little boys shouldn't be wandering out so late at night," the first one purred. "Especially not pretty ones."

"Yes, and it's a shame you're so ugly," Yami replied immediately, a sadistic smile twisting his face as he matched the other young man's purring tone perfectly, "because I must admit I have a weakness for the cute ones." Suddenly the familiar dagger was in his hand and he tossed it into the air idly, as though tossing a coin to amuse himself, catching it by the tip of the blade each time. "I was in the mood for a spot of massacre. What shall I take off first, hm?" he said, smile widening as he advanced on the young man slowly. "Tongue, maybe? Ear? Or should I just get straight to the point and rip your throat out?"

"Bakura!" Ryou whispered fiercely as he took ahold of the other's arm, surprising himself by addressing the other by his own name. With a disapproving scowl, he tried to refrain his Yami from doing anything.. Drastic. Bakura had no idea what he would do if he actually pulled through on any of his threats. Sometimes they made the poor other half feel sickened. "Please.. Let's just go?"

The dark haired man merely chuckled as the yami made his rash statements, casting a knowing glance at his burly friend. "Hey..! Looks like he's one of us then.." With a smirk, he returned his gaze back to the taller Bakura before a small click echoed through the empty station. Bakura let out a little gasp of fear as the cool, metal cylinder was pointed at his yami. "I always fight fire with fire, pretty thing."

Yami, as usual, ignored his aibou's protests. He scoffed at the gun in the young thug's hand with a single, sharp laugh. "Now that, my little friend, is against the rules. There aren't many rules I abide by, you know--" A deck of Duel Monsters cards appeared in his hand and he quickly drew one, holding it up to the gaze of the wadjet-eye on his Sennen Ring and still smiling toward the young man as Ring and card began to glow-- "but if you end it quickly like that, where's the fun? Rude Kaiser!"

In response to his summons, a ghostly creature began to materialize between the white-haired pair and the thugs, quickly becoming more and more solid: a tall, imposing armored lizardman holding a wicked-looking sword. The creature let out a shriek.

"Kaiser, he's all yours! Let's see some blood!" Yami cried, grinning nastily.

The two boys recoiled in horror as the monster rose from the depths of the cards, the tall one's trembling hand letting go of the gun as he yelled out in terror. The gun seemed to shatter as the metal hit floor. As for the Kaiser, the ghostly being seemed to writhe in joy at his master's command and descended upon the shrieking pair.

Bakura recoiled immediately. He couldn't watch! He couldn't! With a frozen look of sadness, he buried himself into the cloth that was the back of his Yami's back. He gasped out a choking, dry sob as there was the sound of screams and the cracking of bones. Brown eyes shimmered with tears that refused to drop and slowly the light that had flashed through the halls slowly diminished...

All grew eerily quiet... All but Yami's satisfied laughter.

_Drip.. Drip.. Drip.._

With a shivering breath, chocolate eyes raised very hesitantly from the recesses of blue. He immediately regretted what he saw. **_Red_**.. Red everywhere. Blood, that's what it was! It dripped from massive splatters on the walls with a sickening noise akin to running water. Bakura couldn't bare to look down at the bodies. 

He knew he was going to throw up. A small hand was raised to his mouth and he swirled away.. He trembled there, eyes shut tightly as he tried to hod back the contents of his stomach.. The tears now sprung freely, but he made no sound. __

//Oh, just CHUCK it. You'll feel better.// Bakura's indignant voice invaded his mind. //Wimp.// The epithet was half-hearted, though; his yami was still in much too good a mood from the sight of the two young men being so brutally ripped apart.

"Next time, I'm gonna get in on the action," he declared cheerfully, stooping at one puddle of blood to dip in a finger and take an experimental taste before continuing on in the general direction of the exit.

Bakura refused to move from where he stood, huddling. He couldn't stand to.. He was to afraid. Afraid of what he was.. What he was hosting within him.. What lay dripping in thick puddles behind him. He couldn't handle it. His hand trembled as it pressed itself upon cool tile to support himself, white hair falling about his now wet face. He could hear the echo of his aibou steps in the distance. He knew his yami had killed before. He knew. But he'd never witnessed it..

He couldn't handle it.

//What.. _are_ you!?//

The hand upon the wall was drawn into a fist, a shattered breath. He slammed it against the wall.

//What the _HELL ARE YOU?!_//

With fire burning in over-bright eyes, Bakura turned to where his yami had begun walking, shivering hands slipping with his shirt to clasp upon the Sennen Ring that hung upon his neck. The chain it hung upon was snapped easily. He didn't let it go, but.. God help him..__

A smirk. Before Bakura could stop him, the yami was next to his aibou, reaching over to clasp Ryou's hands in his own as he leaned into the boy's face. One thin eyebrow raised amusedly.

//I'm you.//

Yami Bakura gave his other a fond peck on the nose.__

Tears pricked once again at the edges of his eyes.. All he could feel was cold... Numb. Bakura knew he could never let the Ring go. He didn't have that strong of a will.. He never would. His love was too deadly, too parasitic, feeding upon his raw heart, and he, the host, had now power to stop it. He loved this sick, twisted bastard.

And there--here, in this endless circle of death and terror he would stay.. Just because he couldn't let go. With a heartless sob, he threw his arms around the neck of his darkness, burying his face in the warm chest that held such a wicked heart... The white angel sobbed into him.

//Yami.. I can't let go..//

/I know... sweet little thing./

Yami Bakura embraced his aibou with a curious little smile, leaning his head against the other's as he stroked Ryou's hair.

/I wouldn't let you./

"Now..." He listened to Ryou's heartbeat as they stood together in the darkness, his other still sobbing into his shirt. "Let's go home."__

//...But I have to.//

Tears streamed like waterfalls over alabaster cheeks as the slender body pulled itself away. Eyes a misty brown looked longing for the last time into the depths of the auburn red and a small hands raised itself to trace down the slightly defined cheekbone. His lower lip trembled.

The gold Ring clattered upon the floor. Blood splashed softly upward.

"...I'm sorry..."

Without one more glance, Ryou covered his face and ran.. Ran as fast as he could from the death.. 

From himself.

"AIBOU--!"

Yami had never called him that aloud before.

Aside from a hand stretched disbelievingly in the direction his other had run, Yami Bakura did not move an inch. For about five whole seconds he stared, gaze shocked, mouth opening again as if to say something, but no words coming out.

After those five whole seconds his face twisted into a very ugly scowl. Snatching up the Sennen Ring, he ran after his other half, though Ryou had already dissappeared from sight in the darkened tunnel of the station. "What do you think you're_ DOING_!?"

_Letting you go..._

Tears shimmered lifelessly in the flickering florescent lighting of the hall, his shoes slapping heavily upon the dirty floors, leaving a trail of blood as they went. He was running blindly, aimlessly trying to curve about objects he failed to see in time. Bakura could feel his chest tightening. Half of him wanted to turn around, to fall at his yami's feet and beg him to forgive what he had done.. The rest of him screamed to keep going, even when the furious voice of his other echoed across the dark tunnel.

He couldn't think, could even breathe, even when he stumbled over the threshold that led to the dimly lit street. Chilled air met him harshly, burning his damp cheeks without mercy. He gasped for air, trying to make himself breathe, small hands clinging to a cold lamp post for support.

Familiar footsteps followed him.

His mind was confused.. Why hadn't him letting go of the Sennen Ring let go of the spirit? He buried his face in his arms... He must have forgotten something.

A whisper came from behind him:

"I'm slightly offended."

Yami Bakura walked with deceptive leisure into the circle of light under the lamp post, arms crossed over his chest, Ryou's Sennen Ring still clutched in one hand. He thrust it under his aibou's nose with one violent motion.

"You can't get rid of me so easily," hissed Bakura. The matching Ring around his own neck glimmered in the lamplight. 

/You know what I am./ The yami glared at his other half in the space between their minds. /What I've done. You know that I like it. And now this, and tonight I actually had a fucking _reason_, and you pick _now _to turn tail!?/

Everything still felt so numb... His frozen cheeks, the beating of his heart, the small, irate gasps he managed weakly though lungs that seemed to refuse oxygen of any kind. Even his tears seemed to have stopped, though it did not keep his heart from wrenching out of place at every word that his Yami spoke. The shimmering Ring was hung before him like an omen of death and with a small sound of protest, Ryou pushed his yami's hand and the Sennen Ring from him.

"I don't want it..! I don't want any of it!" 

Ryou stumbled backwards over the curb, falling under the smooth, golden glow of the lamplight. He stood there, shivering unconsciously out of cold and white hair shrewn in all different directions. Glittering eyes looked up at Bakura through white lashes and bit his lip. He looked like a fallen angel, standing there. "You just.. You just use everything, don't you..? Death's a toy, I'm a toy.. Don't you ever consider how I die every time you destroy someone's life? Not to mention how much it hurts to love you so much I can't hate you anymore...." His eyes lowered. "You knew I was going to break sometime... Why haven't you left already? I'm broken! Get someone else! You said yourself, when you almost took Mokuba's body... I can't ... break any more..."

Yami Bakura cocked his head to one side curiously. "...Love me?" repeated the spirit in a murmur, as though that was the most remarkable thing Ryou had said. A tense silence reigned over the dark street for long moments.

The yami held out Ryou's Ring again, not coming any closer this time, but gazing toward his other half with an unreadable expression.

"Take it," he said, voice quiet but scornful. "You have no choice about this, and neither do I, and you know it. Or did you forget that_ I am you_--" His voice rose to a growl-- "and _you are me _and we're stuck together _FOREVER!?_" He shook his head vehemently. "Even if I'd managed to take the little brat's body, do you think I'd've been far from your side? You--you're _in_ me!" His voice took on a desperate note. "In my head, in my very skin all the time! _How _could I be apart from you...!?"

He stopped abruptly, a sour, confused expression on his face as he turned his gaze away, free hand tightening into a fist at his side.

"..But _why_? Why** me**..? You have all the choice in the world, Yami...! I-I let the Sennen Ring go! I.. Let you go.. But you're still here.." His voice trailed off, growing quieter by the minute. He rose his face to stare at the Sennen Ring that was held towards him. It was like a golden dream catcher, he'd always thought, even now as it's ornaments softly tinkled like bells in a swift breeze that made it's way through the empty street. Suddenly, it hit him, and his eyes widened incredulously. Ryou looked up sharply, eyes hold a glimmer of hopefulness and he stepped forward hesitantly.

"Are you.. staying here for me? Because you..?"

"What... _love _you?" Yami looked back over at him with an indignant expression. "Of course, you moron! Weren't you listening to me five seconds ago? That goes without saying!"

His expression sobered again as he murmured, "I could never be apart from you."

"It's nice to hear it though."

Ryou smiled.. But very faintly. Yet, inside, the numbness was starting to fade, tears breaking out once more but very dimly. He hated crying then.. He had cried far too much tonight, he thought guiltily. But at least these were tears of joy, and he could breathe once more. Yami had seen him all shades of weak tonight. 

The golden feathers upon the Sennen Ring jingled once more as the white-haired boy reached forward and grasped it quietly. //I love you too.//

The yami made a satisfied noise as Ryou returned the Ring to its rightful place around his neck. "That's better. Now can we _go home_!?" Words irate, with a faint touch of childish pout, accompanied by the grabbing of Bakura's hand in his own-- Almost as if the events between the subway and now had never occurred.

He leaned over and gave his aibou a short kiss on the cheek, expression impish.

/Yes. I guess it is nice,/ came the admittance, very quietly, but there nonetheless.

//Hm.. I like hearing you say it// smiled Ryou and, for the first time in Yami Bakura's many advances, he leaned himself into the soft lips that had placed themselves upon his cheek. Not only this, but Bakura noticed very much so the sweet, if not masculine, scent that wafted from the beautiful body of his darkness, even as he was virtually dragged along towards 'home,' small stumbles as Yami swerved erratically. It made his mouth water, much to his embarrassment.

//Maybe..//--his thoughts were soft but clear--//.. what happened on the train -- ..you won't get told no so much if you kept doing it.//

Sure, it was blackmail, but it was sweet blackmail. With a mischievous smile and quite uncharacteristic wink, the other one took up more of a jog with Bakura in tow... 

Need they forget what death they leave behind them.

Bakura turned hungry eyes on his aibou, and a slow grin spread over his face as they walked. No words were needed.

"Right, then--" All of a sudden an arm was thrust under Ryou's knees as his yami picked him up, smiling suggestively at the tousled white head now resting against his chest, and continued walking-- "we'd better hurry up."

Yami Bakura carried him the rest of the way home.

* * *

The room reeked of chocolate. It was a nice smell, really.. _Too_ nice, if you ask Katsuya, who only gazed longingly from where he sat, holding the cold phone to his ear.

"No, I don't know... Four.. five tomorrow at the latest," he mumbled with downcast eyes as he flicked a speck of crumb from the countertop. Once again he sat in the vicinity of the Kaiba kitchen, though he was far from along now. At the familiar sound of whip cream being sprayed far from sparingly, Jounouchi glanced up into the big, gray-brown eyes of the youngest Kaiba...who gave him a curious glance as to when to stop adding the rich whipped milk to his of the three mugs of chocolate. He received no 'no' too soon. Even as he listened, the blonde finally gave a thumbs up with a childish grin and Mokuba reflected this as well before adding twice as much on his own. 

"I won't," Katsuya added quickly, as if the person on the other line said something very irritating to him. "Mmmhmm.. All right.. Bye." Click.

Mokuba put the whipped cream away and rummaged around in a nearby cabinet before producing a plastic bag full of mini-marshmellows. He dropped a few into the third mug of chocolate, which was absent any whipped cream, and then sprinkled his own mug liberally. At this rate he was going to overdose on sugar.

"Marshmellows?" he asked Jounouchi, glancing over at the young man with a grin.

Of course, Katsuya answered with a hearty nod before returning the black cordless to it's place upon the wall with a shake of his head. With slender fingers, the pale boy hung onto the body of the telephone for just a few more moments then came to sit once again across from the dark haired child that bounced happily about the large kitchen with all sorts of things to throw in his own mug.

"Man, you're sure like some weird things," Jounouchi commented with a smile as Mokuba dropped in half of a candy bar or good measure, the chocolate and nugget instantly disappearing beneath the mountain of whip cream. There was a moment of thought. "Where's your brother, anyway?"

"Still in his room, isn't he?" Mokuba took an experimental sip of the hot liquid, absently wiping a fleck of whipped cream off the tip of his nose. "That's where he was when I got home from school. He's probably doing some programming or paperwork or something. And by the way--" The boy picked up Jounouchi's mug and walked over to hand it to him. "You still haven't told me what _you're_ doing here, Jounouchi... although I can guess." The boy's smile turned mischevious.

"Ah--I.. I.." The pretty faced blonde faltered for a few moments, a small blush forming upon already reddened cheeks (chocolate did that to Katsuya). Was he that obvious already? Either that, or it was Seto Mokuba could so easily read... Which would make more sense? Jounouchi grasped a flimsy solution. "Erm, your brother and I got some school project due. It'll take all night."

He flashed a goofy smile, hopefully hiding a nervous laughter.

Mokuba started laughing. "I knew it! I _knew_ it! Oh, the blackmail!" He shook his head. "You know, every time niisama started in on you I always expected him to lean over and commence with the making out... I swear, he doesn't know himself half as well as I know him," declared the boy, picking up the last mug and carrying it carefully down the hallway toward Seto's room.

"Wait, what?!" With wide amber eyes, Katsuya sported the oddest look before the younger Kaiba skipped from view. Grabbing his own mug in his hands, pausing only to realize he better not run, he made his way after the bouncing child, a small quirk of curiosity gracing his mind. Had ... had Seto liked him before and he hadn't even seen? Another bluish topped the first. Of course, he _had_ always been far too busy with his own enmity with the Kaiba...

With a sigh, he pushed past the half open door.

The bedroom was empty, bathroom door shut tight, and the two Kaiba brothers sat around a table on the balcony beyond the glass doors that led outside. Seto sipped at the delivered hot chocolate, the hint of a smile playing around his lips as he watched Mokuba finish his own in a few large gulps, getting whipped cream all around his mouth. "Okay, maybe that wasn't such a good idea," declared the boy, wiping at his face and licking the sticky cream from his fingers.

"The bathroom's right there, silly." Seto took another sip. "Go clean yourself up."

"But it's no fun that way!" Mokuba declared with a grin.

The glass door slid open quietly. A childish smile flickered it's way on to the pale features of the young boy that hung quietly beside the doorway leading to the balcony, even as Mokuba caught his eye. The latter respond with no more then a smirk of satisfactory glee as he obliged to follow Seto's earlier suggestion, if not for that reason alone. As he passed Katsuya, he gave a thumbs up, and the blonde one was inclined to step forward. Seto's back was to him.

The night was beautifully cool, the sky a dark expanse of midnight blue littered with shards of shining silver. A full, round moon hung low and large, smiling down with it's usual indifference. 

Katsuya smiled and thin arms came to wrap around the warm, slender body that sat in silence, supposedly oblivious to his presence. "He knows, you know."

"Oh, really?" The faint smile remained on Seto's face as he leaned back, hair brushing against Jounouchi's chest. "Why does that not surprise me?"

One hand reached up to find one of Katsuya's own, and he absently stroked the other boy's fingers as he looked up toward the moon. His expression was thoughtful, but Kaiba said nothing further.

"Mm.." Katsuya whispered in compliance, his free hand coming up to caress tendrils of beautiful brown, the smooth hair slipping through his fingers like fine silk. It even smelled nice, like crushed berries... But had he any doubt it would? Lips quirked in a small smile, he turned himself about without disrupting Kaiba's hold upon his hands so that now he was facing the boy. Dark eyes of blue gazed up to him with a whisper of a smile before Katsuya added a saucy wink and straddled both the chair and its occupant, drawing near to the warm chest that he leaned upon to swipe a small kiss.

Any words Kaiba might have been considering--indeed, any thoughts at all--vanished abruptly when he found Jounouchi in his lap, and soft lips pressed all too briefly against his own. His arms snaked around Katsuya's waist, hands moving up the other boy's back as Seto pulled him closer, giving him a long, slow kiss in return.

_...God. I don't know what I did to deserve this._

_Everything._

Katsuya purred into the hot mouth he was in such close contact with, breaking away only to take in a few quick breaths. Yet this did not deter his descendant upon the breathily figure below him. A skillful mouth found it's place on a vulnerable neck, artfully tongue running over the satin like skin that covered a sensitive vein. With each delicate lap the blonde drew closer in a soft pattern of forward and recede as did his tongue.

Seto drew in a sharp breath. "Oh, god, _Katsuya_," he breathed, arching his neck as that perfect, torturous sensation continued unabated, his hands finding the feathery tips of Jounouchi's blonde hair. He blushed involuntarily, feeling his body respond as Katsuya moved against him.

"Hmmm.." With an impish grin, Katsuya drew back with an agonizing delicacy at Seto's sudden attentiveness, or.. Whatever you may call it. The blonde's own thoughts were a blur himself, and amber eyes shinned with hungry at the panting body below him.

_No.. You can't do** that**, Katsuya... Not yet._

Kaiba drew in a sweet, shuddering breath... Brown hair mussed.

_Well.. Maybe just a bit._

With one more grin, he returned to what he had been doing, if not time slipping gentle hands to slid down Seto's cloth-covered side. He responded to everything Katsuya did! He growled a possessive growl and drew out the licks longer. "Purr for me, Seto.. Moan! Make some kind of noise... You're so cute when you're flustered."

Kaiba laughed, briefly and breathlessly. "Like to get me... off my guard, huh?" His hands were clutching at the back of Jounouchi's shirt, and as Katsuya's mouth moved downward an involuntary mewl escaped his lips.

Seto tasted.. Indescribable!

"Catch you off guard, kiss you up and down till you whimper.. Whatever floats your boat."

Katsuya's soft kisses slowly graduated to nursing suckles upon the pale flesh that was exposed upon the young CEO's neck. He tasted it. The smell, the sweat, the _taste of **SETO KAIBA.**_

****

_That sounds like a bad cologne ad._

The blonde boy chuckled. Of all the things to think of! Yet, as Kaiba let out a sound not to far from a mew of a kitten, he was far from thinking how his odd thoughts would work for advertisment possibilities. A smooth hand carassed the soft material of Seto's shirt before it came to the buttons, looking up. He hesitated.

_No. I really shouldn't.._

Kaiba stilled for just a moment. Royal blue eyes moved to meet amber ones, and that pensive, far-away look passed over Seto's face for an instant. It faded to be replaced by a curious smile, as he leaned forward to kiss Jounouchi just once, lips touching only briefly as fingers brushed against the hand lingering over his shirt buttons.

"...Do it," he breathed. "Anything you want. I'm yours."

Katsuya, for the life of him, was incredibly flattered. Not only that, but grandly blushing as well! 

Yet, despite the beautiful site that lay heaving softly beneath him, he couldn't accept. The blonde smiled, hand moving away from the buttons with a delicate ease.

"No," he whispered sweetly, drawing nearer to the warm brunette, laying his head upon his rising chest. He could hear the heartbeat."I wouldn't want you to do anything you regret so quickly. How about.. We just stay like this? Just for a while."

Kaiba let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Of course," he murmured, nuzzling his face into the soft blonde hair. There was a faint scent of baby powder. He smiled.

"I don't deserve you, Katsuya," Seto mumbled, wrapping his arms snugly around Jounouchi's waist again.

"We don't deserve each other," Katsuya snickered softly, small arms wrapped tighlt about the one who embraced him. Everything.. was always soft with Seto. "You're too pretty to be mine. I guess Fate likes me."

Kaiba blushed. He couldn't think of a way to respond to that. In lieu of words, the young man pulled back slightly, kissing Jounouchi playfully on the nose.

"Come to bed with me," he murmured. Blinking, his blush quite unabated, he added very quickly, "Just to sleep... I want you beside me."

"Of course," Katsuya whispered, laughing softly at the words had they been in context. He kissed him again. With that, he stroked Seto's cheek with sweet like pets before he got up, leading Seto with his hands.

"Shall we?"

"Of course." With a shy smile, Kaiba let himself be led inside.

* * *

He awoke to sunlight streaming through the balcony windows, and the pleasant warmth of Jounouchi's body lying next to him. Kaiba turned slightly in bed, nuzzling up to the other boy's chest. His eyes turned involuntarily to the clock beside the bed--almost 9:00. "Thank god for Saturdays," he mumbled to himself.

Jounouchi himself was quite asleep. With a softly mumbled string of words, something along the lines of 'Aww.. I'm not a puppy dog.. I'm a kitty," he clutched tightly to the boy beside him, pressed his cheek against the feathery brown hair.

Seto would've liked nothing better than to stay in that embrace the rest of the morning, but unfortunately, his bladder was ordering him otherwise. Slithering carefully out of Jounouchi's grasp, he planted a light kiss on the boy's tousled head before absently pulling on his pants and heading to the bathroom.

Katsuya remained asleep ... that is, till he rolled off the bed. Taking half of it with him. Sleepy amber eyes stared out from his tangled form and layers of cloth, the pillow topping him off with a soft bounce.

"Ouch."

Hearing a thump in the bedroom outside, Seto's concerned voice came from behind the bathroom door. "Katsuya?" A moment later he stepped out, and his lips quirked in an amused smile as he found a pile of sheets and a disgruntled Jounouchi spread haphazardly over the floor.

"Oh." He kneeled down next to Katsuya and lifted up the pillow to grin at Jounouchi's face. "Good morning."

"Ugh... not morning. Too early." Dejected and still barely awake, the blonde pulled Kaiba down to where he lay quickly, then covered the both in the warm sheets. It seemed lost to him that they we're on the floor. He let out a sleepy sigh before disappearing in the mountain of fluff. "Seto.."

Kaiba just couldn't help but smile as Jounouchi fell half-asleep again. He, however, was quite wide awake now. With the absent thought of grabbing something to drink, he extricated himself from the sheets, stretching as he walked over to the bedroom door. His hand was halfway to the handle when he noticed the envelope taped to the middle of the portal. Suddenly tense, he reached up to take it with a frown.

Katsuya, or rather the pile of bed cloth, mumbled something. "....It's cold." After some rustling, he quieted again.

Kaiba stumbled over to sit down on the bed, very hard.

"Ka... Katsuya." He took a deep breath. "Are you awake?"

"I am now." Noticing the stumble over his words, Katsuya's concern forced him awake. He pushed the sheets aside just enough to gaze up at the intense faced boy near him. He held something in his hands. "What's that..?"

Wordlessly, Kaiba passed him the envelope.

Inside were two pictures. One featured Kaiba and Mokuba on the balcony. It was close enough to make out the details of their faces as they conversed over cups of hot chocolate.

The second was further in. The light was dim, but Jounouchi and Kaiba could be made out tangled together in bed, the sheets covering them haphazardly. A simple note accompanied the photos:

_I'll be in touch._

_Love, Daddy._

_* * *_

_I.. must be insane._

It had still been early morning at Bakura's house when he awoke.. from a dream. A dream that involved him moaning, whimpering, panting... Waking up with a sheen of thin sweat over his slender body and a bright red blush upon his face. With wide brown eyes, he wiped a plastered strand of silvery hair from his cheek and stumbled out of bed, gazing wondrously as he almost failed to stand. After a few moments of trying to calm himself, the boy made his way to the bathroom, doing the first thing that came to mind.

Splashing the cool water, his waking mind finally managed to disorient the situation. Last night.. And it's events all flashed before the small one's eyes. The.. killing. His yami saying he loved him... He must have carried him home last night.

_And I fell asleep._

Bakura glanced silently up at the mirror. Love him? How could he? The boy that stared back at him was much too thin, almost gaunt. Raggedy, chopped straw of hair, which he ran his fingers through disgustedly... And plain brown eyes. It would explain that dream, though.

With that last thought, the blush upon the pale cheeks flared up vastly. He.. Never had dreams like that! Never! And... Oh, he hoped his link had been closed!

"...Please be asleep," he whispered.

/I'm flattered./ No such luck, it seemed. A chuckle echoed in the space between their minds, and Yami's thoughts reached out to tugged at Ryou's own, insistently.

/Let me show you something./ It was colored with his typical impatience, but also a hint of thoughtfulness.

//Huh..?// Still blushing, the Bakura's physical body rested upon the side of the sink, small hands grasped on cool marble, and he shut his eyes. He admitted, he was curious.

Immediately, he was in his soul room. It didn't take him long to stumble through his door over to his Yami's room. He peered in warily. His dream, he hoped, was forgotten for the time being. //What..?//

Yami's eyes met Ryou's, and suddenly the boy was staring out at the bathroom mirror again.

He was small and slender, delicate, with skin like alabaster. Soft hair as white as snow, endearingly curled and tousled from sleep, falling down teasingly over chocolate eyes with beautiful thick lashes, cheeks flushed and inviting. A wave of desire not his own flashed through Ryou's thoughts, and an urge to touch.

/This is what I see./

Yami said nothing further as he let go his hold on Ryou's thoughts.

//... Yami.//

Ryou fell back into his own thoughts and was once again standing outside the doorway to his yami's soul room.... Then himself in the bathroom mirror. The water was still running. Needless to say, his face was worse now as far as being an apple goes, or rather an inside out one. His face was red, his hair white.

With a little hand raised to his lips in a child-like smile, Ryou reached forward to cut off the tap before he forced out his other half.. Not so much forced.

Yami blinked into existence next to him with a wink and a peck on the cheek before perching on the toilet.

/What? And don't you dare tell me I'm wrong./ He shot a challenging glare toward his aibou with a pout on the pale face.

He smile only widened. How could he not love this..? Love him? There was a pause before the little one drew closer, rather shyly, the sit on the floor beside him, gazing up lovingly. He rested his cheek on the bare skin of Yami Bakura's thigh (as both he and his other half wore boxers and an oversized shirt.. Ryou's clothing tastes were very simple).

//If I did? What would you do to me?//

Yami enjoyed the feeling of Bakura's face against his skin for a moment before grabbing his shirt, hauling the boy up so he could deliver a long, hard kiss.

/I'm _not _wrong. So there, dammit./

"Great argument..." 

Ryou blushed softly as he settled into his yami's roguish signs of affection and, still overly timid, returned it, if not quite as hard. As it tapered off, he let out a little sigh of contentedness before burying his face in the crook of Yami's neck. 

_He's yours now.. Just... You can. _Eyes away from sight, he was a bit bolder.

//Still... // He smiled again, kissing the flesh softly. //I disagree. Punish me.//

Yami chuckled.

/Yes, little thing, you have it right./ Pale arms slid under Ryou's shoulders, lifting him up; and almost before the boy knew it, he found himself quite shirtless against the bathroom wall. /Anyone who doesn't believe my Ryou is beautiful.../ Yami rained kisses down the nape of his neck before suddenly pulling him onto the floor and starting again, this time from the hem of Ryou's shorts slowly up his chest, playfully licking at the boy's skin as a hand ran through his snowy hair.

/...they must be taught the error of their ways./

Ryou sighed, leaning into the silent torture. 

It was only fair that the little one would let out soft, innocent gasps as his yami's hot mouth found it's way up his torso. With a pleasurable squirm, hands raked through hair as soft as silk.. He knew his Yami was probably an aggressive lover, but this made him ecstatic.

//What if Yami Yuugi didn't agree?// he chuckled through a mist of lust //Would you do this to him?//

/Maybe. If he begged./ Silent laughter echoed between their minds as Yami draped himself over his aibou's prone form, one hand still idly toying with the ends of Ryou's hair as the other clutched the boy's body, mouth finding its way to Bakura's nipple.

"Mmmh..." A pleasurable sigh. If Yami Bakura had been a cat, he would have purred.

//You and Yami? Mmm.. Not such a bad mental picture.// He replied darkly, with an introspective smirk as the warm body fell upon his. Yet, as soon as flesh met flesh, all thoughts were chased out of Bakura's mind.... And the hot tongue that suddenly found it's way trailing up his shuddering body till it made it's way to softly circle the darkened protrusion that lay there, he couldn't help but lose himself.

With a heavy-breathed moaned, Ryou's eyes fell half-lidded, clear brown eyes now misty as his darker half slid up his slender body. A faint blush now grew darker and he began panting.

"Y...yami.."

Yami's free hand was gradually creeping lower and with the other sliding down his aibou's arm, he leaned forward again to catch Ryou up in a long, heated kiss, tongue moving forward to explore inside. Pleasure and a sense of satisfaction snaked across the space between their minds.

_This... this is what I've been waiting for._

Ryou was now knew nothing more then desire.. And, by God, he wanted to make his Yami feel the same!

He left out a suspicious little smirk into the kiss that he had been so sweetly given. He had a plan... Even with Yami's hand crawling dangerously close to his breaking point. Ryou knew if he didn't pull this off now he really _wouldn't _be able to think.

With all his might, though he possessed very little in this position, he let out a low purr into the kiss before he tumbled them towards the left. Indeed, his yami was and always had been the stronger of the two, but he had a sneaking suspicion he was being.. _allowed_. If that made any sense. 

He let out a satisfactory smile, much too innocent for what he was about to do as he now lay on top, straddling the taller one's chest. With a soft giggle, he placed a tender kiss on his yami's nose and quickly went to work on his shirt.

//No way I'm the only one ending up bare.//

Yami just grinned. /Do your worst, little one./ He attacked the hands removing his shirt with kisses and caresses, one foot absently stroking the side of Ryou's leg as he lay prone and waiting for the boy's next move.

Ryou was about to comply, a cute little smile on his face as he leaned low to place a kiss on Yami Bakura's lips, tresses of silver falling across his cherubic face, when...

_Brrrrrrriiinngg ...... Brrrrrrriiinngg!!_

He groaned and buried his face into the warm chest that lay beneath him instead. Of all the times... Maybe they could ignore it? Then again.. what if it was important...?

Yami made an indignant noise as Bakura broke off the kiss, wrapping his arms around the boy and nuzzling against Ryou's hair. /I suppose you're going to insist on answering that?/ came the thought, in a distinctly pouting tone.

//I have to. Just in case.// the smaller one replied in an equally disappointed thought, though the generic sweetness remained. Reveling only for a few more seconds in Yami's arms, Ryou broke away with one last kiss. //I'll be back.//

Standing, he glanced at the mirror which stared back at him guiltily. He looked like a... a boy-whore! Innocent as he was, he still held back a giggle at his own giddy thoughts as he pushed aside the door and rushing down the stairs to snatch the phone. It was in mid-third ring.

//Hello?// Within seconds, and a soft cough over the phone, Ryou realized with some embarrassment he forgot to speak.. regularly. 

"Ah--oops--I'm sorry. Hello?"

"Hello, Bakura-kun...." It was Yuugi's voice. He sounded awfully upset. It worried the other.

"Yuugi? What's wrong?"

"Bakura-kun.. Turn on the television. Channel 4. I.. I think you should see."

"What..? Why? Yuugi-kun? What's going on?"

"You better see for yourself." The was a low click and Ryou realized dimly that the other boy had hung up.

/So? Who was it?/ Yami's thought-voice had regained its usual irate timbre as he walked down the stairs, pulling on his shirt. /I assume the world isn't ending?/

//Maybe.// Ryou said thoughtfully, meaning to tease but only coming off distressed. Looking up to his Yami once again, he walked past him to the television that sat in a small cupboard like dresser before snatching the switcher. He was remotely quiet when he fiddled with it and the screen popped up to life. A woman's voice filled the room.

".... two bloodied bodies were discovered today in the Ugu-Isaigani station this early morning. While no one was apprehended for this bloodied massacre, a man claiming to have being a witness had helped identify the culprit or culprits through police sketching."

Ryou held his breath as a sketched image flashed up on screen, much akin.. to his own.

"If you have seen anyone who fits such a description, please inform the police at ..."

The rest was lost to the young boy who now stared wide eyed at the television, as if no comprehending.

"Oh."

Yami blinked once, before glancing over toward Ryou, and then back to the TV.

"Well, shit."

A worried expression... Ryou looked absolutely horrified.

"Ya... Yami..?"

* * *

The tall man took a long drag of his third-way smoked cigarette as he stepped out from the door of the police station. That had been far too easy. 

Sure, so they lost a few of their men, but it was worth it.

With a swish of his wrist, the man threw aside the small bud, crushing it beneath the tailored leather shoe he wore. They paid him well for shit like this. With a smile, he flipped open the dark cellphone that had been in his other hand. The number was dialed automatically.

"Hello..? Sir?" ... "It's done. Once the 'police' nab the boy, wenab the Ring. It's as simple as pie."

* * *

"That's what I get for not cleaning up after myself, I guess," Yami muttered. He placed a hand on Ryou's shoulder and suddenly there was only one person in the room.

/You should go talk to those friends of yours. And then after that.../ A frown was communicated through the space between their minds as Yami thought about their options.

With wide, brown eyes he stared up beggingly to his Yami. He always could make things better, could he? He was stronger then Ryou. He could.. he could fix this. Right?

Why..? Why now did everything have to go and screw itself up now? Everything was.. Perfect only moments ago.

His other half disappeared into him. Other then the soft tap upon the shoulder, Bakura felt nothing of it, except of course Yami's words.

//Who.. Yuugi? Yami Yuugi must think you did it, I'm sure. How do I know you'll be safe?// Thoughts were tinted with another worry. //Not Anzu. Maybe... Kaiba-san? I'm sure he's dealt with situations like this before! Not murder, I'm sure but.. But I don't know if he'd help.//

/Witnesses... _What _witnesses?/ Yami paid only half attention to Ryou's speculations as he paced back and forth in his soul room. /There was no one else there! How could they possibly have seen...!?/ With a growl, he turned and lashed out at the nearest object, fist smashing into the stone wall. /DAMMIT!/

For once in his long life, Yami wasn't quite sure what to do.

//Yami, please calm down.. I'm sure.. I'm sure we can find some way out of this.// 

Ever the optimistic, Ryou managed a soft wave of reassurance before heading towards the door, carefully unhooking his father's larger black coat from the coat hanger. He was off at the museum in Egypt, anyway, so it wouldn't really be missed. 

Hesitantly, he pulled the heavy material over him, the sheer size of it enough to hide his face from public eye. He opened the door. //I'm going to Kaiba's. Hopefully.. He can help.//__

Yami sighed, sinking down to the floor with a scowl as he leaned against the wall of his soul room, arms crossed over his chest. /All right./

* * * 

Katsuya had long since abandoned the school jacket he had worn here, but the crumpled blouse that had undergone such torture remained indignantly crumpled, mocking him. This, of course, was the least of his worries.

That letter had sent Seto straight from him into his office, much to the blonde's worry. The only thing he could manage to hear through the locked door were the frantic tapping of keys on a laptop. The other Kaiba was still asleep. This left Katsuya very much alone.

Giving up after about thirty minutes of banging on the door, the boy sat cross legged, rather dejected, upon the floor in front of the closed off office. In the distance, though there turned a corner, he could still manage a glimpse at a television set in another room. It was his only source of forgetting what he was staked out in this spot for and he gazed boredly as the news drawled on. As had been his strategy for the last few moments, he would grow quite then whack at the door repeatedly, follow by another beg. Checking his watch idly, he decided a minute had passed.

"Seeeetttoo~! Please come out!"

No reply. He hadn't whacked this time, more to the fact that his palm hurt from doing so rather then having him try to be subtle. With a frustrated growl, he crossed his arms once again and glanced back at the television. _Someone else died... Woooo._

_Wait.._

_Isn't that Bakura?_

"Seto! Come look at this!"

As if on cue, the door swung open. Kaiba walked out with a sigh, shoving his hands in his pockets as he glanced down toward Jounouchi.

"Have you been there the whole time?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.

For a moment, the reason Seto was last called out was forgotten.

"Here the whole time?! I've been banging on the door for an hour!" Jounouchi exclaimed indignantly before childishly embracing the taller boy's legs from where he sat. "I was beginning to think you did something stupidly drastic.."

"...Sorry." Seto couldn't help but smile faintly as the other boy grabbed him. "I went down into my workshop for a while... I don't keep good track of the time when I'm programming, I suppose." He cocked his head curiously as he looked down at Katsuya. "But what were you yelling right before I came out? You wanted me to see something?"

"Oh! Yeah!" Immediately releasing the brunette's leg to their rightful owner, the boy quickly stood and dragged Seto quickly into the room where the television sat not to far away. "Doesn't that look like Bakura?"

The news had apparently repeated itself, though for the likes of him, Katsuya had to wonder why. Murders happened, but was this one really that important to the general public..? Of course, it was to _him. His_ friend could be in jeopardy.

But still.

The news stated the facts again.

Kaiba's eyes widened as he watched the news anchor emotionlessly repeat the story. He frowned.

"The other Bakura must be on the loose again..." The young CEO crossed his arms over his chest, expression pensive. "This doesn't bode well."

Katsuya would have replied had his voice not be cut short with the familiar elaborate doorbell of houses such as these. He glanced curiously at Seto. Sure, he would half expect a butler to answer it or something.. But, he realized then, that he himself had seen none of the staff a mansion such as this usually required, save the limo driver.

Kaiba, in turn, glanced toward the hallway. "I'll go get that. Stay here if you like." He looked down at himself, buttoning his shirt and smoothing the slightly rumpled clothes, and when he looked up again, the royal-blue eyes were once again veiled by ice as he began the considerable walk toward the front door.

The blonde folded his arms dejectedly. The last time Seto said that, he'd been sitting outside a door for forty-odd minutes.

Up ahead, behind the closed front door, Ryou gazed wide eyed at the giant door. He'd never actually come to see Kaiba.. Though he often tried to defend the brunette from his friend's quips, as far as actually knowing Kaiba was entirely different. It was intimidating, in it's own way, and the little albino looking boy gazed about him, shivering as the bitter winder nipped at his small form despite the heavy hung coat.

//Maybe this was a bad idea. I've been having a lot of those.//

It took Seto a couple minutes to walk from one end of the house to the other. Reaching the front door, he took a glance at the readout from the security cams, and was surprised to see a tousled white head and brown eyes peeking out from the depths of a long winter coat.

_Bakura...?_

Suddenly tense, he reached over to open the door. "Bakura Ryou," he volunteered in the way of a greeting. "Come in."

"Ah.. Hello, Kaiba-san." The little one managed as he stepped in. He was immediately met with the embracing warmth of the large house. The decoration merely at the front was enough to gawk at though he didn't dare. Instead he smiled weakly, shedding off the large coat and holding it against him. He wished Yami would take over.. or at least split from him. "Thank you."

There was a weak silence.

Yami answered Ryou's thought with a sarcastic laugh. /Oh, yes, _that _would be really smart. He doesn't _trust_ me, moron./

Kaiba crossed his arms over his chest as he walked a few steps the way he'd come. Glancing over his shoulder, he raised one eyebrow as he regarded Bakura. "Since you've never had reason to visit my home before, I assume this has something to do with that little story on the news right now? Follow me," he added perfunctorily as he kept walking.

//Of course not, but.. But... Darn it, shhh! Stop reading my thoughts. I'm nervous as is.// Ryou bit his lip thoughtfully before following Seto as he retreated down the hall which he had most likely come from, small hands wringing at the coat in his arms.

"Sort of."

With a regretful sigh, he was about to say more when he was interrupted by the sight of a rather nonchalant blonde coming to greet the two. 

//No.. it couldn't be? Could it? But I thought they hated each other! Poor Kaiba-san, Jounouchi was always the one whose comments I had to defend him from... Wait, what if Seto's _doing _something to him?//

Ryou had and has a bit of a paranoid complex. A product of his Yami, no doubt. Katsuya gazed at him, a blush upon his cheeks.. He was unaware Ryou was not 'wise' as to the situation.

"Uh.. Bakura-kun? Hey! What are you doing here..?"

"What do you think?" Kaiba replied for the other boy as he waved both of them back into the kitchen. "I'm just waiting to hear what exactly I have to do with it." Without further words he busied himself with preparing some tea, grabbing cups out of a cabinet as he switched the tea-maker on.

Ryou coughed lightly as Seto turned his back to the other two and Jounouchi glanced at him warily as he took the white-haired boy by the arm and sat him down. Immediately he was met with both amber and icy gazes and he cracked.

"Well, Ryou? Come o-"

"Yami Bakura did it." Immediately, his hands flew up to cover his mouth, large brown eyes looking up at the other two guiltily. How was he supposed to explain..? Yami_ had _killed those two men. He _was_ trying to. "..But, he did it to protect me. Not.."

"To... _protect_ you?" Kaiba echoed the other boy's words with a somewhat incredulous tone as he turned back toward Bakura. "So he didn't take over?" Cold eyes flicked down toward the Sennen Ring around Ryou's neck and Seto questioned, "He's with you now, correct?"

Yami tensed as he watched from the safety of his soul room.__

Ryou was frozen under Seto's scrutiny and unconsciously he clutched the Ring that lay near his heart. "...He did. He and I were separate and..." 

Katsuya looked sympathetically at young boy as he suddenly buried he's innocent face within his hands. This kid, even though he was the same age as Jounouchi, shouldn't have had to.. Suffer like this. "And..?"

Ryou groaned a disappear further into his hands. "I'm in love with a psychotic murderer."

Yami glanced out toward the real world with an indignant expression. /Hey, I resemble that remark./

"Well, stranger things have happened, I suppose," murmured Kaiba. The tea-maker gave a little 'ding' and he turned to pour three steaming cups, walking over to thrust one toward Ryou.

"It could be worse," he said, shrugging. "You could be dead."

//Well, you are!// Bakura mumbled in his mind, quickly apologizing with a mental glomp. Despite his current state. //But I love you! I looooovvee you!//

Jounouchi held back a roll of his eyes before giving Seto a firm look.

Ryou looked up at Seto with wide eyes as he took the mug. Obviously, the logic was lost on him and he took it literally. "Oh, Yami'd never kill me! Or.. I _hope_ he wouldn't.." He trailed off briefly, a small sigh following this as he stared into the swirling contents of his cup. "Now the police are after me. I-I'm wasn't sure where to go. So I came here."

"I see." Kaiba frowned as he picked up the other two cups, holding one out in Jounouchi's general direction as he continued to regard Ryou. _Your yami, never kill you? No, I'm sure you're right... But what about the people who attacked you? _

_Naive little boy._

Seto turned away, blowing absently over the top of his cup as he frowned, expression pensive.

/Thanks for the vote of confidence,/ Yami replied sarcastically to Ryou's spoken words. /Of course I wouldn't. Even if I hated you, which I don't, moron, my existence depends on yours./

//So you _say_.// Ryou murmured, though his mind was giving away to a smile, if not quite scattered. //I'm just trying to confuse myself, I guess... My mind won't get used to you loving me back.//

In the real world, Ryou raised his eyes.

"Can.. can you do anything about it?"

Katsuya took the mug quietly from Seto, though he was more focused on the young boy. His face look conflicted.. Ryou was always a tiny bit messed up. It was endearing, but a dangerous quality. He trusted the wrong people...

Kaiba frowned as the cold eyes found their way to Ryou's face once again.

"I'll go call some people, but... I can't make any guarantees. This has already gotten out all over the city... It'll be hard to keep it quiet enough to straighten the situation out."

Bakura was always one with a girlish face. It never was exactly a benfit, as this often gave off the sense that he was overly weak... But it made him beautiful. If anything, that was probably how he had won his Yami. Of course, he was oblivious to what a smile did. The one that he gave Seto was priceless, lighting up his face instantly.

"Thank you, Kaiba-san! So much!"

"Don't mention it." Kaiba sipped at his tea and turned to walk down the hallway toward his office. "Really." Inwardly, he groaned. _Well, I wonder how much bribing** this **is going to take?_

_But he is a friend of Katsuya's... and Yuugi's..._

Kaiba disappeared into his office again, though this time he didn't lock the door behind him. Heaven forbid Jounouchi should find reason to sit outside and pound on it for another thirty minutes.

Jounouchi, seemingly understand this, shot up like a bullet and followed Seto with a careful eye, making sure he did not have to end up at any point breaking his wrist.

Bakura remained behind, glancing over at the two mugs undrunk. Those two were distracted easily.

With a sigh, he leaned back, small hands grasping the warm cup tightly. //... If they do find us--the police I mean-- I want us to separate. I'd rather them take me then you.// He smiled. //After all, you can handle it out here for awhile--I'm sure that Seto could get me out. Alright?//

/Separate? Like hell./ Yami glared out at him. /I'm not going anywhere. And if we did have to, Iwould be the one leaving, because you're not going anywhere with people I don't trust./ An image of Jounouchi and Kaiba flashed between their minds as he added, /Not that I trust those two idiots, but better the devil you know and all that shit./

Kaiba sat down at his desk before reaching for the telephone, dialing through to KaibaCorp's secure line. "Hello? Yes, get Emi on, and make it quick. I've got a situation here." He leaned forward in his seat, fingers drumming against the wooden surface of the desk impatiently.

//You're so stubborn.// Bakura pouted softly, though it was quickly replaced by a scowl as he quietly berated his Yami. //You're mouth.. I'll never know how you got it! Cursing like that wasn't even invented till the 1800s!//

/I'm a quick learner./ Yami gave his aibou an innocent smile. /But honestly,/ he added, /you might as well ask how I learned to speak Japanese. I don't even know the answer to that one./

Back in the office, Kaiba was detailing Bakura's predicament to whoever listened on the other end of the phone line. "I don't care what it takes," he concluded, "get the police to drop this. What? ... Throwing money at the commissioner usually works nicely. ... ... Yes. Yes, well, just don't bankrupt me, all right?" Kaiba grimaced. "Keep me posted on what's happening. Yeah. Yes, later." He hung up with a sigh.

"So what's going on?" Jounouchi's familiar voice wafted gently through the room, a free hand touch Seto's hair with absently placed tenderness, reveling in the down-soft of the sheeming tresses. "You can do something about it, right?"

He wouldn't say he wasn't worried. No matter how deeply he suddenly distrusted the darker half of Bakura, he had to trust his friend's words. It did not, of course, ease him into believing that Yami Bakura wasn't using the little one again...

//Don't hurt me brain,// Bakura whispered sweetly as he slowly followed the path of the two, trying to carry all three mugs in hand, //I'm not exactly sure they trust you... Otherwise I'd see how exactly you could stand my puppy dog eyes.// This was quite difficult, actually. __

Kaiba leaned elbows against the desk and rested his chin in his hands, gazing pensively toward the phone. "Probably. Stick enough yen in the commissioner's pocket and I can usually persuade him to look the other way... But these murders were pretty brutal. People are going to be scared, and he's going to have to be seen doing something. The best idea I've come up with is to announce that that the witness was found to be lying, but then..." He sighed again. "Then we pretty much have to set up someone else."

/Not exactly sure? Oh, naive little aibou./ Yami was torn between giving his other a mental whack or a kiss. /Of COURSE they don't trust me./__

"Someone.. else? Who would be willing to do that?" Katsuya stared incredulously at the back of Seto's head as his fingers continued to rake their way through the mass of silky strands.

Bakura looked absolutely adorable as the indignant look filtered across his face and his mind. He had managed to get past the door without toppling. //Naive..? I'm not naive! Just.. respectably... more knowledgeable in finding the good in people..?//

/You're naive, aibou. It may give me a headache, but it's the truth. Deal./ Yami stuck his tongue out childishly at his partner.

"Yes," Seto muttered, leaning back into Jounouchi's touch, "that would be precisely my point." Closing his eyes for a moment, he didn't notice Bakura coming into the room.__

Katsuya leant down and kissed his forehead, smiling with reassurance.

//But you love me for it--don't you? Hmmm? Hmmmmmmmmmm...?// He mentally giggled, taking the cups firmly in hand as he took the final step into the office. //I---//

Half way through the sentence, he looked up through scattered white bangs. What he saw left him blushing furiously--not to far from what Katsuya mirrored when the small boy let out a gasp of surprise. Good thing he had a good grip on the cups. 

Katsuya had been playing with Seto's hair. He kissed him on the forhead. And Seto LET HIM.

Kaiba did not miss the the intake of breath. 

_Oh, shit, it must be-- _And sure enough, he opened his eyes to find Bakura standing in the doorway. He felt the pleasurable sensation of a hand in his hair yanked away abruptly as he sat up again, looking toward Bakura with an expression as cold as ever.

"What? Or hasn't Mazaki blabbed to you by now?"

//...This explains that.// 

After abruptly shaking off his shock, Bakura immediately surprised Katsuya as, instead of yelling as Anzu had so keenly done, ... smiled. Sweetly and brightly. It did not help the blonde's blush.

"Oh, nothing, Kaiba-san. It's just cute, that's all... You forgot your tea."

Yami just started laughing.

Kaiba looked slightly disgruntled, but he rose and retrieved his tea from Bakura's hands without comment. "Thanks," he said perfunctorily, returning to his chair."I talked to my security guys." Seto sipped at the warm liquid, eyes turning away. "We're short of ideas at the moment, but they're working on it right now... I have a long, amiable relationship with the police commissioner, so I should be able to work out _some _kind of arrangement."

Listening to Seto's words, Ryou nodded thankfully and passed the other steaming mug to the blonde. With soft laughter, the little white haired boy glanced over to Jounouchi who had managed to regain some composure where he stood near Seto. Katsuya glanced at him swiftly.

"Is it that weird?," he asked with a nervous smile. Bakura, realizing what he was doing, immediately stopped and shook his head, grinning up to Katsuya who relaxed under the warm gaze.

"No! I'm sorry... there was laughing in my head."

Blinking, almost as if uncomprehending what Ryou had said, Jounouchi gave him a puzzled look. and was about to say 'Yami Bakura is with you now?' before he realized what a dumb question that was, and instead settled on a more 'rational' course of action, folding his arms in a childish manner.

"Think he can come out so I can kill him?"

It was barely an instant more before the Sennen Ring began to glow and instead of one Bakura, two stood in the room. Jounouchi, it seemed, had a remarkable talent of always knowing precisely the wrong thing to say.

"There's a challenge if I've ever heard one," declared Yami, smirking as he glanced toward Jounouchi, arms crossed over his chest.

Ryou immediately responded, placing his free hand (the other occupied with one of the many mugs he had carried downstairs) upon the upper area of Yami Bakura's arm, a small smile held back to the mask of a firm one. 

"Don't you dare, Yami."

Katsuya glanced with amused amber eyes as the little one of the mirror two remained in control with more innocent ways then his other but still glare suspiciously at Bakura's yami. After all, he had tricked them all many times before.. And the blonde would hate to see poor little Ryou's heart broken if this was all some stupid scheme of Yami's....

"You," Yami replied with a pout, leaning forward into Bakura's face to stick his tongue out at his mirror image, "are no fun at all." Crimson eyes straying toward Jounouchi again, the smirk returning to his face as he added, "Not that you could actually kill me, anyway."

Kaiba sighed.

"Hmph!" Katsuya snorted idginantly and looked off to the side, arms still clasped in iron tight formation over his chest. He looked like a daunted four-year old, lower lip thrust out... Childish pouting... Something both Yami and the blonde managed to share. "_No_, but it doesn't matter! If you did, Seto'd get mad and he has guys with guns n' stuff. Beat that!"

Ryou, who had been in mid-eye roll at Bakura's childishness, glanced towards Katsuya. With a sigh, he shook his head and pointed a finger at Yami. "He's just like YOU!"

Kaiba's lips twitched despite himself. "Well, as _helpful _as I'm sure this argument could be, I hope nobody will be killing anybody else under my roof. Since I _am _about to spend a great deal of money to keep you and your other out of trouble," he added, eyeing Yami Bakura with a cold gaze.

"I know, I know," grumbled the Yami. "I'm not that bored, and none of you have given me any reason to kill you yet, anyway. So just don't jump my aibou or suddenly acquire any Sennen Items and I promise you'll be fine." He raised his right palm with a wicked grin. "Scout's honor."

Katsuya opened his mouth in response, about to place a well earned protest before he was cut off. There was a sharp shot to the left of them, causing all the room's occupants to glance warily towards the large window that engulfed one part of the wall in the office. Within seconds of the sound, the glass shattered and something whirled dangerously into the room, narrowly missing Bakura's head. The little one let out a kind of a squeak as the sharp tip grazed his cheek and then embedded itself into the wall.

Katsuya let out a small breath of air as Ryou stepped cautiously over towards the small projectile, oblivious to the fact the small abrasion now on his cheek was beginning to bleed. It's fanned tip gave it away.

"It's a dart..." he mumbled quietly, pressing a finger to one of the many fans. "There's a note wrapped around it."

Kaiba's breath caught in his throat for a second. Exchanging a glance with Katsuya, he walked over to pluck the weapon out of his wall, absently throwing the dart to one side as he unrolled the note. Yami Bakura caught the little projectile.

"If that was poisoned, somebody's gonna catch hell," he muttered, frowning as he glanced toward Ryou's cheek.

"Mn," Ryou murmured, raised a small hand to the cut the failed to bled to heavily but enough to tint his fingertips.

Katsuya stared as Seto took the small paper into his hands, reading silently what was enclosed before he brushed past both Bakuras with a narrowed gaze.

"What does it say..?"

"...'Just to keep you on your toes'..." mumbled Kaiba, looking down at the little scrap of paper. Expression darkening, he crumpled it in one fist, throwing it to the floor.

"Bastard," he growled, glaring toward the carpet. "Him and his fucking mind games..."

With wide eyes, Katsuya glanced down at the wad of crinkled paper before raised a reassure hand to Kaiba's tensed shoulder, thin finger pressed soothingly firm. Ryou, in the meantime, looked a bit distraught, his breathing slightly rapid as he looked up to his Yami who was examining the dart with furious accuracy.

"Yami...," murmured the brown-eyed boy, small hand covering his large one that clasp the dart. "...I don't feel so.." He didn't finish, but instead crumpled to the floor, seemingly silently.

/AIBOU!?/

Moving swiftly, Yami caught the other boy as his legs buckled under him, dart dropping to the floor as he tried to keep the limp body upright. "Shit... Ryou...!! Ryou, dammit, answer me!"

"Bakura!?" Kaiba watched the pair for a moment with wide eyes before heading straight to his phone. "Hello... yes... yeah, we have an emergency here! Get a crew to my office, and I mean _now_!"

Katsuya let out gasp as Ryou fell and while Seto rushed off to dial some various number, he joined at Yami Bakura's side as he gently lay the limber body down on the floor, trying to wake him with soft shakes. Ryou's only response was his head rolling to the side.

"Jesus! What was on that," Katsuya whispered, snatching up the dart. There was no apparent poison, but who knows what the metallic base could have been covered in.

"Ryou..."

Yami scowled down at the boy's body, crimson eyes glimmering uncertainly. He glanced toward Jounouchi.

"I'll be right back."

He placed a hand over his other's Ring, and suddenly, there was only one Bakura again.

/Ryou?/ The call echoed between their minds as he stepped into the other boy's soul room.

Ryou's soul room was ... different. Sure, in a sense it always was... Ryou's soul room had always made the twisted of the world quite proud. With Victorian gone wicked and eerie, China dolls stared lifelessly through glass eyes as Yami walked through the room. Black lace and dark colors swirled vividly within the room. Normal...but it was dimmer.. If that made any sense. Like an old movie, everything seemed to flicker and mist before regaining solidity and then repeating the process. It was as if Ryou was struggling for consciousness.

The boy himself was unseen at first, but his mind was there if not dim. Head buried low into his arms that up held knees pulled to his chest, the white hair shimmered softly.

/Aibou...!?/ Yami brushed past the imaginary cobwebs and stumbled down to where his other was curled up on the floor, shaking his shoulders none-too-gently. /Can you hear me!? Fuck, _Ryou!!_/

//Y... yami...?// His thought line was weak, broken, and the small body shivered against Yami's touch. With an exhausting movement, the boy tried to grasp Yami's hand reassuringly, flashing a smile. //..it's all right..//

/Shit, shit, SHIT.../ Yami took Bakura's hand and clutched the boy's body tightly to his own, shaking his head vehemently. /Why did _you _have to be the one by the fucking window...!? I'm going to rip those bastards limb from limb...!!/

_...I hate feeling so helpless._

He stayed there for a long time, as the soul room crumbled around them.

And it did as Ryou's consciousness left, his soft breath fading where it once caressed the pale skin of Yami's neck and his grip upon the other's hand slipping free and falling limply to his side. Black.

As the other ceased to be able to function on the physical plain, the Ring did the only thing it could think to do. Yami Bakura was forced to take over as Ryou materialized in his arms.

The KaibaCorp paramedics swarming over the prone form were surprised as light emitted from the Sennen Ring, and their "patient" sat up with a scowl, suddenly not looking quite like himself. One of the personnel reached over tentatively toward him, only to be stopped short by a dark 'don't touch me' look. Yami stood up and brushed himself off.

"False alarm," he declared tersely. "I'm fine. You can all _leave _now."

Katsuya, who had quickly been pratically pushed off to the side, snapped his head up Ryou suddenly moved.. But it wasn't Ryou. As soon as his eyes settled on the sudden physical changes as well as attitude, he realized it was Yami. With a worried glance towards Seto, the blonde stepped forward tentatively.

"What happened to Ryou..?"

With a few words from Kaiba, the paramedics packed up to leave, but not without several strange looks directed toward the white-haired boy. Yami watched silently until the last one walked out the office door.

"Aibou's unconscious." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm the only one who can control the body right now, so the Ring forced me out."

He took a deep breath. "I can't find him in there... I don't know _what _the hell is going on."

There was a long, unbroken silence.

Kaiba actually started slightly when the phone rang. "Too many things happening at once," he muttered, reaching over to pick it up.

Too many indeed! As he quickly shook his head in frustration, Katsuya tossed some blonde bangs to the side before he... **VERY** hesitantly patted Yami upon the shoulder though his soft scowl was of no reassurance. "Keep looking."

He thought for a moment, frown deepening. "But if.. if only _you_ can control the body? Does that mean he's ... dead?"

In an instant Yami had grabbed Katsuya's wrist and he squeezed it slightly, just enough to serve as a warning to the other boy before shoving it against Jounouchi's chest. He gave Jounouchi a look before turning his gaze away, expression becoming slightly distant.

"He's not. If he was, I'd be dead too. He's in here somewhere..." He shook his head violently, a scowl forming on his face again as his hands clenched at his sides.

"Dammit, I need to kill something." Yami stalked out of the room without further preamble.

As soon as Yami stormed out of the room, Katsuya immediately stuck his tongue out after him, a furious pout on his face before he retreated back to where Seto sat. "I can't believe that guy! How can Ryou fall in love with him..?" he murmured under his breath, folding his arms across his chest firmly while he took a perch upon the side of the desk as the Kaiba continued focused on what he was doing. He was more talking to himself than the brunette anyway. 

Gazing off to the side, he sighed distantly. "I hope he's okay though.."

Kaiba hung up the phone with a somewhat relieved expression.

"Well, if he comes back alive, he'll most likely be a free man. The police have agreed to play down the case and throw out their witness... you don't want to know how much that cost me, by the way..." he added, grimacing, "and they're going to speak with all the media outlets about it. I only hope it's not already too late to get this mess fixed."

He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. It had been a very, very long couple of days.

Katsuya's gaze soften vastly at Seto's little sigh and scooted over on the desk so that he could place a cool hand upon the smooth, alabaster cheek of Seto's. His amber eyes were large but incredibly thankful.

"I understand. But thank you... What you've done so far--for me.. Ryou.. Means a lot to me. Even in these," he glanced over to the dreaded paper that lay crumpled on the floor, "stressful times... But it just makes me love you more."

Then he pressed a gentle kiss onto the lips that had scrunched into a scowl only moments earlier.

Kaiba pulled the other boy down onto his lap as their lips parted, his right arm snug around Jounouchi's waist as he rested the side of his tousled head on the blonde's shoulder.

"Don't get me wrong," he said, somewhat wearily. "I'm not normally so benevolent. I certainly wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have the money to spare and then some." He closed his eyes briefly. "But you're welcome."

Katsuya sighed with utter exasperation. Too many things were happening. Too many _bad_ things... Especially now, when he found him. _Him_. This beautiful, tousled haired brown-haired beauty that clasped so firmly to his frame. 

Taking in the moment, however, was all he could think to do. Though he'd love to say it could only get better he knew it would echo the opposite.. It didn't help that there was an enraged Yami storming the grounds killing things. But no matter. He would justsit here and stroke Seto's hair and think of what they could have been doing had life been more kind.

More peaceful.

* * *

Yuugi sighed.

/So many strange things have happened lately...  and now Bakura-kun.../

Standing behind the Game Shop's counter, he rang up a board game for the waiting children and accepted their money without comment.  He opened the cash drawer under the register.  "Here's your change...  Thanks and come again!"

The kids walked out, bells on the shop door jangling as it shut behind them.  Yuugi leaned his elbows on the counter and sighed again, looking around at the now-empty room.

/I hope Jiichan gets back soon...  I want to get out of here and check on Bakura-kun...  And maybe call Anzu.  She's been acting so strangely.../

//Has she...?// Yami's voice rumbled low and deep through the confines of Yuugi's mind as he himself leaned heavily in the swirling back. After much condolences upon the ancient spirit's part, the young one had voiced all his worries much more freely. Yami, however, stayed suspicious of what he had seen.

It was obvious it was not Bakura. The poor boy wouldn't hurt anything, let alone kill two men of his same age. That only left one person... One that pharaoh had very little doubts did it. Yami Bakura had always been reckless with his power, that had become blatantly clear through the last few months. But there had to be a motive. Of course, he could have just been bored.

Yami sigh frustratedly and rested his elbows upon the bed within childish thought. The mention of Anzu acting strange slightly drew him outwards but he had not noticed anything odd...

Yuugi nodded, half to himself.

/After lunch yesterday she was so quiet...  And she said Jounouchi-kun went home...

Come to think of it, I'll check on him too.  I wonder why he left... maybe he got sick?

Oh, none of this makes any sense./  Yuugi frowned.

/I hate just sitting here like this...  It's pretty quiet in the shop right now.  I'm going to call her./  He reached for the phone.

//Mmm..// Through a mental nod, Yami turned upon his back, arms sprawled about his slender form carelessly as well as his hair. He gazed up at the ceiling, attentive.

//Actually... Seto left too, didn't he? But doesn't he always?//

/Yeah, he skips so often that sometimes I wonder why he bothers to come,/ Yuugi replied, preoccupied as he dialed Anzu's cell phone.  He tapped his foot absently as it rang.

"Hello, who is it?"

Yuugi smiled faintly.  "Hey, Anzu.  It's just me, Yuugi."

"Oh, Yuugi...!"  She seemed to hesitate for just a moment.  "Hey!  How are you?  Having a good weekend?"

"Um, it's been okay.  Look, Anzu, I just wanted to ask you..."  He fidgeted with the phone cord for a moment.  "Well... are you all right?  You were acting so odd after lunch yesterday, and with all these strange things that have been going on...  Well, I mean, I was just a little worried."  He laughed embarrassedly.  "Probably silly of me, but..."

"No, Yuugi, it's not silly at all.  I'm flattered that you'd worry about me."  There was a smile in her voice.  "I guess that's what friends are for, huh?"

She paused for a moment.  "I'm okay.  I just... had a big shock yesterday.  It kinda freaked me out."

"Oh?"  Yuugi blinked.  "What happened?"

There was a very long silence from the other end of the line.  The wild-haired boy frowned.  "Anzu?  Are you still there?"

"Um... yeah...  Sorry.  I just..."  She paused again.  "Well, I'm not sure I should be blabbing this, but I guess...

Well, see, Jounouchi...  The reason he left early yesterday was because of me.  I think.  Because I...  I kind of caught him and Kaiba...  Well, they were...  you see... um..."

"Anzu?"  Yuugi blinked.

Yami's eyes snapped open at the soft words that drifted through their minds, feminine.. and heavily laced with hesitant feelings. Yet while his more innocent half was left questioning what the young girl on the other line meant in her nervous gibberish, Yami easily deciphered it. Seto.. Jounouchi.. They were...

His eyes widened even more and he sat up. He hiccuped a rather painful cross between a gasp and a giggle. Trying to control himself, he decided that though he found it painfully clear what she was beginning to say, it was best he didn't jump too fast in conclusions.

_But... puppy dog._ Yami was cast down with another series of those slightly painful hiccup-giggles.

Yuugi could hear Yami making a very strange and distracting noise.  He blinked.

"They were..."  Anzu almost choked on it this time.  "All over each other.  Making out."

The blush on both ends of the conversation was so thorough one could almost hear it.  Yuugi's eyes widened and he blinked several times, quite stunned.

/Well, Yami...  Er...  I guess you were right./

"Y-Yuugi?"

"Wha...?  O-Oh, yeah, I'm still here...  But wait, Anzu," and he frowned again, "why was it... because of you?"

"I... said some things... I probably shouldn't have said," she murmured.  "I think I hurt his feelings."

Regaining his composure, the tall boy stilled where he laid and gazed up quietly at the ceiling. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen it himself. The childish, constant teasing was enough to exploit Seto's feelings in red letters, if others failed to acknowledge it. It was actually kind of ... cute (Yami blinked) in a weird way. He never really suspected Katsuya to crumble, though.

He continued listening on, frowning slightly at Anzu's admittance of doing something to harm Jounouchi's feelings... No doubt the blonde would be tender about such a fragile relationship.

"Oh, I-I'm sure it'll be all right," Yuugi reassured her abashedly, the blush unabated on his cheeks. They made some perfunctory goodbyes, and he hung up.

"...I wonder what she said to Jounouchi-kun?" he murmured, glancing down toward the countertop. "Did it upset her? Was it because it was Kaiba-kun, or..."

Two warm arms encircled strongly about the entirety of Yuugi's chest and shoulders, coming to a clasping point near his stomach. A cool, rhythmic breeze much akin to a that of a repetitive breeze tickled the back of his neck and prefect lips pressed against the smooth skin, if not in an actual smile.

"Whatever it is.. You want to find out, don't you?" Yami spoke. 

Yuugi leaned against his other, and sighed, and said nothing for a while. 

"What if it was because they were both boys?" Worried amethyst eyes turned on Yami's face. "What if she..."

"You should put more faith in her." Soothingly, Yami stroked his smaller one's hair with long, gentle pets and let out a dark sigh. "It may be.. But I promise you, Yuugi... If Anzu is your true friend, she will stick by you. Just as she has in the past --- through Duelist Kingdom to the Shadow Realm. She may have just been startled and said some regretful things she didn't truly mean. I'm sure Jounouchi would forgive her and vice versa."

With one swift movement, the ancient spirit faced his light to him, giving Yuugi a firm look before pressing a sweetened kiss upon his forehead... touching his cheek. "Besides... we always have each other."

Yuugi smiled. "I know. I'm sure you're right, Yami." He reached up on tiptoes to return his other's kiss, catching Yami's chin in his hands as their lips met.

"Ah, well," he murmured when they parted again, smile turned slightly rueful. "I think I've done enough worrying for one day."

Yami matched the smile on his aibou's face, his hand not having left the smooth cheek that had crinkled at the slightest movement of his lips. Artfully fingertips trailed across the smooth plan on them, leaning forward in the barest and he almost kissed Yuugi yet again... But hesitated and whispered instead.

"Dear one... Worrying only means you care." 

"Sometimes I think I care too much." Yuugi's whispering voice matched his other's as small arms twined around Yami's waist. Yuugi leaned his tousled head against his other's chest, still smiling.

"I'm home~!" Sugoroku's voice could be heard coming from the back door of the shop.

A soft kiss pressed to the tortured cheek, and Yami disappeared.

* * * 

"What kind of dumb ass job is this? Waiting..." snorted the man as he adjusted his dusty, earth colored hat more securely over his sunken in eyes. "We ain't a messenger service!" The slender dart gun that shimmered by his side stood lifelessly against the tree that it's owner was also relaxing upon and gave no inclination of answering. Instead, the other man did.

"Who cares? We get paid. Besides, the orders were to stay put after we shot the message in." His hands shifted on the large gun he held, now used for balance and he began picking at the dirt under his nails. "...So shut up and be patient."

"Good afternoon, gentlemen."

Four burly guards dressed in black suits stepped out from behind a nearby tree, flanking the familiar face of "Fujikawa Orisou". In one hand he held a metal briefcase.

"I trust everything went according to plan?"

Both men were incredibly startled by their superior's sudden appearance and, after struggling to a more respectable stance, nodded quickly. The second one spoke up first.

"Indeed, it did, Sir! Kaiba Seto received the note and one of his friends was struck down by the poison. We don't know of that man's status."

"Good." A decisive nod. Fujikawa's eyes flicked to one of his guards before he dropped the briefcase, sliding it over to the two men. "Your payment is enclosed. I trust you'll want to look it over."

The first man could not conceal his toothy grin as he popped the metal top open, the payment well in order. The other merely nodded in satisfaction and shook Fujikawa's hand, sealing the deal. However, he could resist speaking softly.

"If you don't mind me asking, Sir... Do you think it's wise to still be so near the Kaiba mansion? He might be looking for you, or at least one of his guards."

"I'm not worried." Fujikawa shook the other man's hand firmly, his guards fanning out around the group. "I'm very experienced with taking care of security leaks."

The clearing was filled with a series of metallic clicks.

"Nothing personal, gentlemen." Fujikawa smiled ruefully. "But I can't afford any loose ends right now. Try not to spatter any blood on the money," he added as he stepped away.

The duo's mouths fell open, but before they could ever grab for their guns, a dozen guns went off. They didn't even scream.

With some sort of satisfactory plop, the metal briefcase fell undamaged at Fujikawa's feet.

The old man stooped to pick it up, and gestured toward the bodies. "Get this mess cleaned up." And without further words, he departed the same way he had come.

* * *

Ryou Bakura was not happy.

The last thing he recalled before being sealed in the Ring temporarily was holding his yami near to him, but then everything kind of ... dissolved.

Oh, there was pain, of course. Lots of it. Even in this dark place neither here nor there which Bakura distinctly assumed was no longer his soul room or even his mind. He had almost been convinced at one point he might be dying and all he could manage to think about was how sad it would be that Yami wouldn't be able to live through him anymore... That is, until he realized with some slow comprehension as the numbing of his mind was drifting softly away as well as the pain that the Ring ... was healing him. 

Time seemed to blend as it was doing this. He couldn't tell if it had been seconds or days when he finally could breathe again with some sense of rhythm. It seemed to have a mind of it's own, however, and he guessed it was when the Sennen Item itself deemed himself strong enough when it tossed him back into some semblance of reality.

Ryou woke then, still aching madly but alive, in a slowly solidifying soul room floor. Wide brown eyes flickered from side to side as he tried to force himself up on his hands. Not to much avail, so he instead tried to remain comfortable where he lay.

There was blood running down his arms.

Yami Bakura absently sent spatters flying into the grass with a twitch of his hands, licking the sticky fluid from the tips of his fingers. The doe he had just strangled lay stretched out under a tree, its head at an unnatural angle. He felt slightly better now, but it still made him nervous that he couldn't feel his aibou--

_Wait._

Something was flickering to life within the confines of the soul rooms.

Without a second thought, his body slumped backward against the tree as Yami's mind plunged inside.

Staring helplessly at his surroundings, Bakura watched with quiet reassurance as the items that were tiny keys to his mind solidified into actual objects. There was some sweet satisfaction to know he was alive, despite being floored ... literally. With a weak smile, he pulled a hand underneath his head, providing what little support he could manage for his weakened body. Where was Yami Bakura, though, he wondered. He had been affected to, had he? Worry washed over the slender boy.

Just as the door to the soul room reappeared, it slammed open, a bloodied Yami appearing in the doorway.

"Aibou--!"

//Yami...!// With a weak desperation, Bakura tried to raise himself, managing to get himself into a sitting position. Happiness overwhelmed him at the sight of his other half, as beautiful as ever, even in the now recovering doorway.. _The other me..._

His smile faded, however, as he noticed the blood that coated his other's perfect form, immediate worry of before pushing ahead in his mind. //Yami..? Are you hurt?? Oh! Yami! I didn't do this, did I?!//

/What?/ Yami stopped in mid-stride to blink down at his other for just a second. /Of course not, idiot!/ Without further words Ryou suddenly found himself the object of a crushing embrace, the blood dripping from his Yami oddly not transferring to his other half in this imaginary space.

/Where the hell were you!? Or do you even know...?/

Even within Yami's embrace, the little one faltered. Obviously he had been healed vastly, but it did not leave him completely void of weakness. Placing gentle, peppery kind of kisses on his yami's cheeks, Ryou barely managed to think correctly when he was asked the harsh question. //In the Ring, I think... It healed me enough so I could come back.... I'm.. I'm so glad you're all right// His face instantly disappeared into the crook of Yami Bakura's neck, just having him near quite enough.

/ME all right?/ Yami growled frustratedly, shaking his head, face pressed into his aibou's hair. /You could've _DIED_, dammit!! You just vanished without a trace and I didn't know where you were and I couldn't even _feel_ you in my head and I went looking for you, and I felt so fucking helpless and--and--and dammit, you are NOT allowed to LEAVE!!/ He could feel a hot, painful pricking at the edge of his eyes, and that just made him more confused and angry as tears began to fall, Yami's arms clutching at his aibou harder.

Pressed against feathery soft hair, Ryou was shocked at Yami's outburst. The furious, desperate voice that rang through his mind was something he wasn't used to, especially when he felt a familiar shivering sensation from the body the held him so despairingly. Even when the hot liquid tickled down the bare skin of his own neck, it took him a moment to register what was the matter. Pulling away from his Yami with widely opened eyes, Ryou cupped his other's face gently. 

//Yami... You're.. crying...//

The spirit glared at Bakura with a hint of the familiar pout. /Yeah, and?/

Ryou's face broke out into one of the most adorable smiles he could muster, something inside of him break open with love. His Yami... Yami **Bakura**... Was crying over _him_? Him of all people? Someone he had never seen any weakness in was crying over him.

_He must truly love me._

With a squeak a sound, Ryou threw his small arms about Yami Bakura, practically tumbling them both backwards. The little light then proceeded to cuddle up to him and shower him with a _million_ mentally projected compliments from //You're my angel!// to //I love you!//

/Aggh, you silly thing, you never _believe_ me when I say something.../

He wiped absently at his face with the back of one arm, smearing a bit of blood over the white skin in his preoccupation. Hauling Ryou to his feet, Yami took the other boy's hand and tugged insistently, glancing toward the door.

/C'mon... there're other people who'll want to know you're not dead./

//Of course I do.// Ryou smiled ruefully though even with Yami's persistence in raising him upward and out into the real world, his legs still refused to function properly and he had to lean onto the taller version of himself in order to stand. Biting his lower lip thoughtfully as he clutched to his Yami, he gazed up worriedly.

//I hope this isn't permanent.//

_...Me too._

/Pessimism doesn't suit you./ Bakura summarily scooped the other boy up in his arms and walked out the soul room door. /So shut your mouth and let's go./

He opened physical eyes to find himself back in the woods at the edge of the Kaiba estate, Ryou lying on his lap. He wasn't sure how long they'd actually been gone, but it was enough time for the blood coating his real body to have dried and begun to crumble.

Gazing up, Ryou realized he was in a forest. There was a light chill, just barely enough the prickle goosebumps over the remainder of his exposed skin. It was a nice day, but dusk was beginning to fall. Yami obviously was aware of this because he rose, taking Ryou along with him... As he did, however, plain but pretty brown eyes caught glimpse of the small deer's corpse underneath the large tree, surprisingly near them. Looking at it, he put two and two together. _The blood on Yami..._

Yami was suddenly rewarded with a sharp whack on the arm before Ryou turned his head the other way and childishly pouted as he was carried, remaining quiet but clearly not approving in the least.

"I was pissed off," Yami muttered, clutching Ryou's slight form close to his chest as he broke into a jog. "Would you rather I snapped the blonde idiot's neck?"

He ran across the open grounds with abandon, not bothering to conceal himself from the security cams that were surely recording him even now. It was a long way back to the mansion; if Kaiba noticed them coming, they might not have to go the whole way on foot.

"You mean _Jounouchi-kun _and I'd rather you not have snapped anyone or anything's neck, thank you," Ryou murmured darkly from where his head rested upon Yami's chest. The soft, rhythmic beating of his heart was rather soothing, anyway, and Ryou raised a free hand to place it above the thumping sound. It was almost an affectionate action, and it would have been meant to be if the little one wasn't mad.. Still, it might have been, whether Ryou intended it to be consciously or not.

"How far away are we..?"

Yami hmphed.

"Far enough. I don't know any measurements that would mean anything to you."

* * *

Back in Kaiba's office, Seto had fallen asleep at the desk in his bedroom, head lolling against a stack of papers sitting next to his still-open laptop. He was a bit behind in official KaibaCorp duties due to the events of the past couple days, and having to relinquish his office to a window repair crew wasn't helping.

A window blinked open on his computer screen, showing live video feed of what appeared to be a large figure running across the Kaiba grounds. 'Unauthorized access detected,' the speakers informed him softly. The only response was a quiet snore.

Katsuya, who had himself drifted of at some point in Seto's endless tapping, had personally taken post upon Seto's massive bed. The soft bed. The _dangerously_ soft bed. Now he lay sprawled haphazardly about, not much caring where limbs lay, his blonde hair a mess. Too bad he had fallen asleep on the very edge and he was threatening to topple. Again.

'Unauthorized access detected.' Contrary to popular belief, while Katsuya always one to frequently sleep, he did not do so in a deep manner. Almost instantaneously, amber eyes opened and scrunched up in annoyance before his face met the floor. Apparently just that slight movement was all it took.

Sighing frustratedly, the sleepy blonde crawled over to where Seto sat -- er, slept -- and, for the rue of the moment, nipped tenderly at his ear. Smiling, he whispered, "Hey.. Master... Puppy's up."

"...he put it on... damn him..." came the slurred, mumbled words from the now half-awake Kaiba. Eyes blinked, focused, blinked again, and with Jounouchi's insistent attentions toward his ear, Seto fully awoke.

"Katsuya?" A yawn. "Wha...?"

Purring seductively, Katsuya nibbled a little harder at the lobe before sucking on it a little. He then retreated back to sit upon the floor, head resting in his arms upon Seto's lap. "Mmm.. Your computer's making noise."

"Agh--" Kaiba blushed faintly, a smile spreading across his face. As Jounouchi changed position he sat up to stretch slightly, leaning over to kiss the top of the tousled head resting against his legs.

"Oh, really?" He moved the laptop closer, turning it around slightly. "Well, let's see what's the--" Words stopped abruptly as he caught sight of the video display from the ground security.

"...Oh." Well, he was certainly awake now.

Working quickly, he grabbed the microphone headset sitting nearby on the countertop and plugged it in, giving the computer a few quick commands. "All right, let's get the speaker relay set up..." he muttered, bringing up a new program. One hand went up to steady the mic on the headset as he spoke.

"Bakura, can you hear me? This is Kaiba. Wave if you understand."

The figure paused for a moment, shifting its burden before sticking one arm into the air to wave at him.

"Good. Stay right where you are; I'm sending around a shuttle to meet you." He threw off the headset and flew through another series of commands, looking down at Jounouchi with an unreadable expression.

"It's Bakura... _Both_ of them."

Having watched Kaiba's actions with slight interest, he was truly awakened as Seto stated the last bit of information. Pulling himself up the look up at the computer screen, Jounouchi held his breath as he saw both Ryou and his Yami, though it was far to unclear whether or not Ryou was active in the taller one's arms, a big grin spreading on his face. "Bakura! He's okay! Even with that nutty other half of his...!" He glanced towards his companion with shifted features. "He is.. okay, isn't he?"

Kaiba looked back toward the laptop's screen with a familiar pensive expression. "Well, he's alive, at least." The figure of Yami on the screen hunkered down to wait, stretching Ryou out beside him.

"It'll be a few minutes before the shuttle can get out to them... According to these coords," Kaiba said, pointing toward some "X" and "Y" numbers displayed on the screen, "they're close to the edge of my property."

Katsuya nodded quietly in understanding, though he couldn't help but notice as Ryou suddenly hoisted himself up down to mid torso, propping himself up with his elbows behind his back. He was talking, apparently, to his Yami ... but he didn't move his legs. 

* * *

"I didn't mean to leave you, you know," Ryou said with a tell-all smile, his small body now being upheld in an awkward position where his arms held his upper body up enough to not lay down. Ryou had quickly abandoned his anger over the deer, deeming this yet another one of those unwinnable battles ... as were most involving Yami Bakura's actions. He was actually surprised they hadn't been convicted earlier. 

"I know," Yami snapped, arms crossing over his chest as he glanced away toward the canopy of trees from which they'd come. Evidently, his knowledge didn't make him any less angry. "I'm not pissed at you... I'm just... Pissed."

"Why..?" He didn't _mean_ to push Yami, and he hoped he hadn't so far, but curiousity prodded Ryou on. With a gentle touch placed upon Yami Bakura's arm, he placed a quick kiss on his cheek, while brushing aside locks of simmering white tinted purple. "You're fine and so am I. We have each other. What could possibly make you upset, Yami?" Ryou smiled.

Yami glared down at his aibou. "You almost _died_, and there was nothing I could do about it. Isn't that reason enough to be angry?"

He blew some hair out of his face with a disgruntled expression. "Don't you dare start telling me off for being fucking _worried_ about you."

//Then don't you dare start snapping a me!// Ryou shot indignantly through their thoughts with sharp precision, removing both his lips and fingers from Yami in an alarmingly fast time. He himself returned to laying down, arms folder over his small chest and his head lay to one side, facing away from Yami Bakura as he glared at particularly nothing. 

"I'm _not _dead. You have control issues," he muttered under his breath.

Just then the familiar sound of the shuttle came towards them from the North.

"Well, as entertaining as this lover's spat is to watch," came Seto's voice suddenly, very dry, from some hidden speaker, "it looks like you'll have to cut it short for now. My cams are picking up the shuttle near your location, so you should prepare to board."

Bakura's scowl deepened--his substitute for a blush, perhaps--as he leaned over to pick Ryou up again, standing and glancing around for the promised transportation.

Small hands were cast around Yami's shoulders grudgingly and downcasted his face, conveniently hiding his blush at Seto's privacy intrusion. The shuttle approached quickly.

It was fairly small -- automatic -- with the words KAIBA CORP painted in blue on the side. It stopped automatically before them and puttered, looking not to far different then a fancy golf cart. Ryou hide a little smile at trivially finding it cute, then remembered he was mad right now and discarded it quickly. His grasp on Yami tightened ever so slightly.

Yami climbed in without comment, and the cart lurched into motion again, carrying them back the way it had come. They rode for a while in silence, broken by nothing save the whoosh of passing air and the shuttle's motor.

"Are you done being mad at me?" Bakura inquired after a while, with a weary sigh.

"Not unless you give me a reason to, no," Ryou responded swiftly, the smaller one suddenly gaining extreme fascination in the condition on his hand. He was still being held by his other half, now in sort of sitting in his lap rather then being carried, one of Yami's hands supporting his back.

Yami gave his other a strange look, evidently not quite sure what to make of the answer. "So... you're _not_ done being mad at me?" He snorted, looking away with a scowl.

"What... am I not allowed to be worried about you all of a sudden? Am I not allowed to wanna rip the throats out of the guys that hurt you? 'Cos I know I'm a fucking bastard, never denied it, but I'm pretty sure that if something like this happened to anybody else they'd feel exactly the same way." Yami's hand clutched at the back of Ryou's shirt, tightening into a fist.

"I'm not mad at you for caring," Ryou said quietly, trying not to provoke Yami further. The hand at his back clutched the fabric so tightly he was a bit afraid he might rip it, so instead the smaller tried to explain. "Just please be kinder about it... I'm not trying to reprimand you, Yami. Please..?"

Ryou flashed his trademark puppy dog eyes. Hopefully they'd work.

Yami was unmoved. He glared at his other with cold eyes.

"You're naive. You're weak and you're silly and you've gotten in the way of my goals more times than I can count... but I love you anyway, and do you see _me _getting angry at _you_ just because the way you act annoys me!?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Yami turned his head away, expression invisible to Ryou as he muttered, "Take me as I am, or don't take me at all."

Ryou ... said nothing. 

_Naive._

He was afraid to. It seemed that every time he did it would only backfire on him. Instead, he lowered his eyes and grew incredibly quiet. Even his breath was much to low for his own good.

_Silly._

He closed his eyes and rested his head silently upon Yami's chest. He said nothing.

_Weak._

Yami looked down at his other, and silence reigned once more for a long while.

"Oh... don't _mope_, will you?" he muttered finally. "I'm sorry you can't stand me... If you want I can just... go back into the Ring."

"Don't." His voice came out far more desperate then he had intended as his hands tightened securly around the slender frame that held him up. He had turned his head quickly, looking up.

//I'm sorry. I haven't been fair.//

Yami sighed.

/It's all right. I.../ A hand reached out to touch Ryou's Ring. /I'll come back later.../

"Yami... Don't leave," Ryou whispered, wrapping on of his small hands around his other's before it could come to grasp the Ring that hung heavily about his neck. He was sincerely apologetic, clear in his expression and words. "I want you here."

/No, you don't. You want some perfect version of me that I... can't... be./

Nevertheless, Yami did not leave. His arms circled around his other's chest and he leaned his face once more against the tousled, snowy head.  Slowly they were approaching the back door of the Kaiba mansion.

Ryou looked up. His heart hurt so bad suddenly. Not only for Yami Bakura's pain, but for his own... For the fact that he couldn't respond.

Even as they entered through the doors, the only thing he could think to say was //I love you.//

Yami just sighed.

"I know, I know," he mumbled, face still pressed against Ryou's hair. 

"...you make me feel like such a...a... _wuss_ sometimes, you know that?"

Ryou was adamant when he spoke then, small hands holding tightly to Yami Bakura's body even as he buried his face in the smaller one's hair. "... I don't mean to."

He hesitated, then switched to thought. //You're wrong... I love you for you. I know I've been horrible about everything lately... I just have... a few issues to work out. But I do love you.// With a tightened grip, he pushed his carrier away just enough to look in his eyes.. His face. The smudge of blood long since wiped upon his perfect cheek still gleamed fresh, oddly undried in the physical world. //I... love the fact that you would kill for me --- I think.. that when you cuss it's kind of endearing. I love the fact you're a masochist! I love your little quirks! I even love it that you say something back to poor Jounouchi that will make him furious! I.. I love you! And you're far from perfect, but neither am I... and I don't care!//

Ryou let out a little huff of breath, then leaned forward and licked the blood from Yami's cheek ever so gently. It was something he would never think to do, but he would do anything for him. And of course, that was priority.

//I keep messing things up.//

A shiver went up Yami's spine as the pert pink tongue brushed across his face oh-so-gently, coming back wet with a droplet of blood. He looked at Ryou with very wide eyes, and it was a long time before he opened his mouth to murmur a few words.

"...mess things up?"

He took Ryou's face in his hands, and their lips met gently, his tongue brushing out to gently caress his other's. He tasted copper and salt, and smiled.

/In three thousand years, I have never met anyone quite like you./

His hands brushed through Ryou's hair.

/I love you. And I hope you know, it doesn't matter what I do or say, I always will./

Ryou gazed up at Yami, chocolate eyes glittering with the beginnings of tears that he refused to let fall. If anything, he would not cry. He refused to be weak in front of his other. Slowly, he raised both his hands to cover the ones that lay warmly upon each of his cheeks and he smiled.

There was a sharp squeak in the tires as the small shuttle suddenly halted in front of the massive back door, not any less intimidating or large than the front. Bakura looked up.

Yami glanced toward the door with a grimace.

"Thank the gods I didn't have to walk all that way." Scooping Ryou up in his arms, he hopped off the little shuttle and marched up to Kaiba's back door, shoving at the handle. Obligingly, it opened up and he walked down the hallway to the little kitchen-alcove.

/All right,/ he muttered in his mind, stopping to look back and forth between the two hallways, /which way is the stupid office...!?/

//That way,// the little one mumbled softly in his mind, curling closer to the warm body that clutched him tightly. He could imagine what Yami's arms must have felt like and he shifted, trying to release some of the weight that his body held. //But they might have moved. How long.. was I gone?//

Yami was wholly unconcerned with the burden in his arms as he headed the way his other pointed him. He tensed slightly as the quiet question hung between their minds.

"Too long," he growled under his breath.

/...Wasn't keeping very good track of the time. But it's been several hours, I think./

Ryou and his other checked the office, but Kaiba and Jounouchi were not inside.

Yami continued down the hall, sticking his head into rooms as he went, stopping only once to shift his grip on Ryou.  He said nothing as they came to the kitchen-alcove once again.  The entire house was silent.

"Geez, you'd think nobody even lived here," he muttered as he turned down the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

"Perhaps that's the way Kaiba-san likes it."

"Could be.  That Kaiba's an odd one."  Yami was about to peek inside another room when he noticed the sign on the door: 'Mokuba's Room, Keep out or DIE!!!'

/Unless they needed a good fuck so bad they couldn't make it all the way to Kaiba's room,/ Yami observed, smirking, /they're not in here./  He went straight on down the hallway.

//Ugh..// Despite his attempts to disapprove, the little one could not withhold the childish smile that threatened to paint his face. When it did come, it quickly turned from amusement to teasing. //You're one to talk... Honestly... The bathroom?//

They neared another door, and soft voices could be heard inside.

/Yeah, and what about it?/ Yami grinned at his other, eyes gleaming mischeviously. /Next time, I'll turn the phones off./ Shifting Ryou in his arms, he reached out with a free hand to open the door.

Almost immediately, Ryou was swept from Yami's arms into the open ones of another. The white haired boy laughed obligingly and returned the massive hug Katsuya gave him, even as he shakily clasped to his shoulders for support.

"Nice to know you didn't leave us hanging, Bakura," the blonde grinned goofily, yet his amber eyes sparkled with obvious relief. "You didn't think you could actually get away with calling Seto and I cute without---" He paused, features instantly dimming as he realized the weight now placed upon his upper body. Ryou's reflected this instantly, small lips pursing to the pout as he gave a look of 'Yes, I know...' 

"It'll get better," he mumbled, but then smiled instantly once again, trying to return the joy that was once on Jounouchi's face.

"Glad to see you're alive, Bakura," Kaiba greeted the boy quietly, rising from his seat and sliding his hands into his pockets as he walked over. The cold blue gaze noted how first Yami, then Jounouchi found it necessary to support Ryou's weight, but Seto made no remark.

"Of course it will," Yami declared, bounding over to snatch up Bakura again with a satisfied smirk. "And in the meantime, I get to carry you around." Walking over to the bed, he plopped down, bouncing slightly on the soft surface.

"So, how goes it?" he asked, looking back and forth between the pair. "You two just been sucking face in here, or has something actually gotten done?"

The worry was pushed aside for the moment... But Jounouchi made sure to keep his friend's condition under close eye.

"Ya~mi," Ryou moaned through a grin and buried his face in his hands hiding silent laughter. Katsuya responded, as per usual, with a furious scowl met with an equally so blush before forcing a comment through his teeth.

"Can't we keep Ryou and throw him out?" he murmured in an exasperated tone to Seto, before folding his arms pointedly at the Yami. "Actually, I've been sleeping. Sorry to disappoint."

Kaiba's expression remained impassive as he returned to his own seat. "Pretty much the same as the last I told you," he informed Yami, eyes flicking down to Ryou as he continued with, "though you won't have heard yet. The police are going to drop their witness, and we've now got a story circulating on all the major TV stations that the suspect sketch was sent out in error. Be very glad I'm not making you pay me back for this, by the way," he said, raising an eyebrow. "I think it's going to be a couple billion yen by the time all the bribes are given out."

"I really, really appreciate all you've done for me--for us-, Kaiba-kun," Ryou said immediately, a small smile flickering upon cherubic features. He might have hugged the taller boy if he could have... _Could have..._ Not that either his physical situation or Kaiba's approachability helped any. "If there's anything I could possibly do to repay you..."

"I already tried," Katsuya interrupted with a grin. Defying the cocky look he received from Yami on his every move, he placed a tender hand on Seto's shoulder, expression daring anyone to say anything about it.

"Don't breathe a word of this to Yuugi and company," Kaiba said flatly, "and I'll consider us even."

Only his eyes moved as he glanced up toward Jounouchi's face. "You keep your mouth shut too." The tone was more akin to one he might have used on Jounouchi a month ago. Evidently, Kaiba was very serious.

Yami Bakura rolled his eyes. "Of course. Wouldn't want your greatest foe to think you're going soft or something, huh?" He grinned a tad wickedly.

Jounouchi could feel Kaiba's muscles tense as he looked on at Yami without saying anything further.

Katsuya, obviously, could only respond to this awkward situation with an equally set glare down at Seto, but this was an involuntary reaction gained after times and times again of avid Kaiba glaring. It wore the poor blonde down to doing the only thing he could think to do at the time. Glare right back! So this was apparently no exception, though it held no malice normally placed.

"... Mmhm."

Almost automatically, however, the brunette tensed beneath his finger tips as Yami Bakura gave a verbal prod, instantly receiving a light chiding from Ryou who mumbled something about being thankful before quieting himself at his own mistake. He flashed another with held smile before turning to Kaiba.

"Nn.. Excuse him. It's just that way he is..----" //And I like you that way.// "---We won't say a word."

Yami just laughed inside Ryou's head.

"All right, then." Kaiba nodded before rising again, walking a couple steps toward the door. "I'm headed down to my workshop for a while," he announced to the room. "I'll let you know if something else comes up." Hands shoved in pockets again, Kaiba walked out the door.

"Huh." Yami leaned back to lay down on the bed, taking Ryou with him. "I was expecting him to kick us out."

"Yami!" Ryou let out a little squeak, adorable as ever, as Yami drew him down, even trying to squirm away ... not to much avail. His other's arms were far to strong to escape from and it wasn't exactly as if he _wanted_ to.

Katsuya shook his head, smiling. "Yeah, well, feel lucky... I was expecting to kick _me_ out after he used that tone." He tilted his head a little at the last statement, eyes following up to where the Kaiba had just exited with few words. Thinking a moment, he glanced over to the Bakuras who seemed occupied enough before he headed out as well.

"I'm going to go check on Mokuba. Just don't... kill anything, kay?"

"Don't kill anything. Check," Yami declared loudly before rounding on Bakura with a mischevious smile.

Kaiba walked slowly down the hallway past his bedroom, half-listening to the commotion as he headed in the general direction of his workshop. With a sigh, he turned to look as he heard a door close behind him.

Folding his arms, Katsuya slowly approached Kaiba so that he now drew up beside him. The brunette waited briefly before continuing on. Glancing to the side, he shifted his arms slightly before he joined the quiet pace, amber eyes hidden smartly beneath wispy bangs of gold.

"You like it, don't you?" 

He gave Jounouchi a sidelong glance, gaze questioning.

"Like what?"

Kaiba reached over to take Jounouchi's hand, twining their fingers together as they walked a bit further.

He smiled softly, holding the hand close to his. Seto had silky skin.

"The privacy. The solitude. Not that you were ever Mr. Social or anything but..." He hesitated, as if thinking. Katsuya quickly glanced around their surroundings. "..You ... kind of remind me of this house. So beautiful and fancy ... but intimidating. People get curious but they're afraid to get near it -- near you. And you certainly don't seem to want to let them in anyhow..."

He stopped again, smile remaining. "Even me."

"That's not true," said Kaiba immediately, intense gaze catching Jounouchi's eyes. "Not you. If I didn't want you to be here..."

He trailed off suddenly as though lost for words, his hand slipping away from Katsuya's in short order as he took a step forward, looking away toward the staircase at the end of the hall.

"It's just... hard," he murmured finally, leaving a thousand other words unsaid.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.." Katsuya struggled for a word as Kaiba pulled away from his grasp, becoming distant all over again. A small part of him knew he was over reacting, but it still ripped something out of him at such a small gesture. With a dull smile, he reproached the tall brunette, slender arms finding there way under his arms to wrap tenderly about Seto's upper body, and Katsuya rested his head lightly upon his back.

"All I wondered was... are you lonely? Then?" There was silence for a moment. "Now..?"

Kaiba was acutely aware of each beat of his heart against his chest as Jounouchi leaned against him. He glanced down at the other boy's hands.

"...I guess," came the mumbled words.

It was a moment before he spoke again, evidently sorting out his thoughts; and his voice was firm this time, though still quiet.

"In a position like mine... having people around... It's a liability. You let somebody get close, they're liable to get kidnapped, or used for convenient blackmail, or any of a number of unpleasant things. Or they..." He paused for a second. "Or they betray you."

There was silence in the room again for a second. The only thing Kaiba could hear was his heart beating.

"The business world's a cutthroat kinda place," he mumbled.

"I'll never betray you, Kaiba."

His hands were cold, he knew. Despite the immensely well built base of this house, in all it's rich and beautiful coverings, had a very poor insulating system, leaving Katsuya's own hands prone to feel like ice. When they came to whirl Seto around, pressing him up against the smooth, flawless wall, and touched his face tenderly, it must have been an icy chill. But the lust in his eyes and breath was warm, and to most that was enough.

"I love you. I worship you. I refuse to let you be alone."

It was cold in the hallway. But that wasn't why Kaiba was shaking.

He willed himself still as he reached up slowly, placing his own hand over the one laid gently against his face. His other hand clutched absently at the wall behind him as he gazed toward Jounouchi in silence.

"Thank you."

In truth, for the gift he had just been given, no other words were necessary.

Instantly, the warmth from his own hand found it's ways to Katsuya's and the blonde shut his eyes, smiling. With a small, sweet kiss upon the boy's lips was enough to satisfy him for now but he paused as he began to pull away from Seto's tensed body. His countenance was mischievous, but it was enough to capture some element of charm about him.

"Can you do something for me..?"

Kaiba took a step away from the wall as Jounouchi moved back. A smile flitted across his face with a mood to match Katsuya's own, but the look in Seto's eyes was serious as he replied, "Anything."

With a cat like movement, Katsuya moved conspicuously close to the taller boy's face, stealing yet another kiss before leaning in and whispering something... obviously of a childish nature. The look as he pulled away was pure evil, but he waited.

The boy's face was RED.

"You want me to _what_?" Kaiba blinked several times as he looked toward Jounouchi, wide-eyed.

"What?" inquired Jounouchi with a completely innocent smile, still incredibly close to Seto, despite his obviously deepening blush. The naive smile instantly drew into a playful smirk and Katsuya fell back with a little whistle. "I personally think you'd look _divine_ in pink."

He laughed sweetly as he dodged away in case of rebuttal on his "suggestion."

Kaiba crossed his arms over his chest, shutting his eyes with a disgruntled expression on his face, still quite red.

"I have one condition."

"Anything," Katsuya repeated, tone filled with pure delight.

One eye opened, and the corners of his mouth curled up just this side of smugly.

"You too."

Jounouchi almost fell over.

"What???" Now it was his turn to blush, furiously so, and he coughed at the notion. "But.. but.. I'm not slender enough!"

The expression was definitely a smirk now. "Yes, you are. That's my condition... take it or leave it." One eyebrow quirked, and just a hint of the old mocking Seto could be heard in his tone as he asked, "Scared?"

This got Katsuya away from his avid coughing fit and he scoffed at the word... _Scared._ Indeed! Amber eyes were lit ablaze instantly, and he folded his arms with all the attitude of the old blonde... okay, the current blonde. "What? Scared? _Ha_! Who ever said I was scared...?"

He strutted past Seto with an air of confidence towards the stairwell. "You've got yourself a deal."

Kaiba followed him, grinning.

"Shall we wait until the Bakuras leave, or should we start now and surprise them?" he wondered aloud. He was having a good time with this idea, if only to watch Jounouchi's reactions.

Katsuya swerved in his step to grin at his former adversary. There was mirth in his eyes, and it was obvious he too enjoyed the whole concept. "I say now. But you know, we can't do it at the same time. After all.. _Someone's_ got to be the boy." He winked teasingly.

Kaiba grimaced. "And I suppose that means_ I _get to go first." _Come to think of it... I don't mind if the Bakuras are around, but...thank God Mokuba's over at the Takahashis' for the weekend._

"Of course, Seto, dear," Katsuya purred, long fingers gently twining into the soft mass of brown that was Seto's hair. Small, pert lips found there way upon flesh over his neck, and Katsuya still held his childish grin. "Though I'm more interested in getting it off you than on you..."

"Oh, _there's_ a surprise," Kaiba mumbled with a smile, nuzzling the side of Jounouchi's face for a moment before pulling away. "But unless you just feel like stopping right here in the hallway--" He gave Katsuya a light kiss on the cheek before taking his hand again--"we should go get busy. We can take the back door out my workshop, since we're headed that way already." He led the other boy over to the open stairwell.

"Isn't it..?" Katsuya smiled as he was dragged onward through the mansion's vast other half. They past various rooms each containing odds and ends that Seto found useful to the business aspect of his life, but that was the least of the blonde boy's attention. Making the long walk slightly more interesting, he made a point to slow them down with kisses for ever full wall painting they past, both to Kaiba's annoyance and other things... Lucky for them, there were quite a few of the large still life artistry.

Kaiba grinned over at Jounouchi. "At this rate, we'll never get to the door."

They passed a very long table, covered with power tools, wires, and various mechanical implements that looked to be in a state of partial completion. Kaiba's gaze snapped to a gadget surrounded by screwdrivers and stray wiring that seemed to be attached to a closed laptop next to it, and his fingers twitched once, as if he were itching to go tinker with the thing.

"My newest project," he informed Jounouchi as they walked by, gesturing to the little object. "An interactive card database add-on for the Duel Disk system."

Katsuya smiled as Seto squirmed beside him, obviously easily distracted when it came to inventing. A small part of him was a bit surprised... He had never actually thought of Seto as an inventor. A good duelist, yes, and maybe a sadistic bastard... But not the inventor type. Thinking back, he realized he had never stopped to wonder just where all of his former nemesis gadgets came from.

_Just another little mystery of millions solved... _Katsuya nodded sweetly, before taking Seto's hands to his lips before leading him to the exit....  _It just means I need to try harder._

Kaiba blushed faintly.

They walked out the door and Seto called a limo around--the car that arrived looked similar to the last one, except that the decor inside this limosuine involved lots of chrome and white leather. Seto let go Katsuya's hand as they climbed outside, the driver giving her employer a polite nod.

"Where to, Mr. Kaiba?"

Seto glanced over toward Katsuya, a smile playing around his lips. "Well, what do you think?"

Katsuya couldn't help but break out in a little smirk. 

"How about Victoria's Secret...?"__

_tbc._


End file.
